The Bachelor alum Matt James is pleading for the franchise to become more transparent after he claims his season never aired "real sh-t" he had talked about in regards to his past and personal life.
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Matt claimed that he discussed race, family and adversity while filming The Bachelor and those confessions and conversations were never shown on TV.
"That's the crazy part. I shared [this] stuff during the show, but it just never made it on air," Matt, 30, explained.
Matt therefore felt the need to write a book so fans could get to know him better, and First Impressions just hit shelves on May 3.
Recalling his days as the first Black Bachelor of the franchise, Matt told Us, "I shared all those things so that the women who were pursuing me -- as well as the viewers -- to have context to why I was the way I was."
"And when they didn't have that context, there were just a lot of things that didn't add up."
Matt insisted, "Things I talked about and discussed and went into in depth on my dates and on group dates and on one-on-ones never aired... I was telling them real sh-t that happened in my life."
"I real bought in, and I was laying it all out there," he added.
Matt suggested that he didn't want to leave any stone unturned while filming the show in order to be fair to his lineup of bachelorettes, who all took time out of their lives to date him and potentially fall in love with him.
"I was there and I was really trying to have these women know where I was coming from and what I was about so that when we got to the end of it, there was no shadow of a doubt what they'd be bringing home to their family and what came with being in a relationship with me," Matt explained.
"I was preparing [to see it] on TV and when I didn't see it, I'm, like, 'Dang, I guess it was too raw. I guess it was too raw for what they were looking for.'"
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Matt said it was "unfortunate" those moments didn't air.
"Because when you're vulnerable and you're open about those things, like, the little bits that they shared that I was very vulnerable, hella people resonated with that," Matt shared.
"They were like, 'Yo, I felt that.' I'm like, 'It's not that hard of a formula -- how about y'all double down on the realness?' People aren't dumb anymore."
Matt believes fans deserve the truth because after watching years of reality television, and some series pulling the curtain back on behind-the-scenes content, they know better.
"Maybe back in the day, you could get away with like, 'Oh my, this is crazy!' But there's been too many books that have come out. There's been too many whistleblowers and we're past that! Come on now, let's be real!" Matt exclaimed.
Matt feels many viewers have given up on The Bachelor franchise due to its drama and unrelatable storylines.
"That's why you're seeing people go watch these other shows because, like, they're not tiptoeing around. They're like, 'This is what we're bringing to the table,' like Love is Blind, Love Island, The Circle, Are You The One?" Matt rattled off.
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Matt said "it's frustrating" for The Bachelor franchise to play such games because they've "got so much good stuff there" to work with.
"You're fumbling the bag," Matt noted, accusing the show of making a mistake with its editing.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Matt also slammed the show during the podcast for allegedly not taking care of him or his girlfriend Rachael Kirkconnell during Rachael's racism controversy in early 2021, when old photos racially-insensitive photos of the Atlanta native had resurfaced on social media.
Matt admitted he wanted to give producers the bare minimum once it became time to appear on The Bachelor: After the Final Rose special.
"It was like, 'I've given y'all everything that I have, and I've seen how y'all treated me and Rachael through this process, so there is nothing else I have left to give to y'all side from the obligation of being here," Matt said.
"And that's how we've gone about our relationship. It's like we're not hosting group dates [on the show] and we're not pulling up to these different events because it's a one-sided relationship."
Matt added, "When Rachael needed them the most, they were nowhere to be found. And when I needed them or whatever, it was the cold shoulder."
Matt therefore concluded that the couple is "good on our own."
"I don't want to come across as petty, because I'm not, I'm so thankful for that opportunity and to meet Rachael and [that] amazing group of women," Matt insisted, "but it's unfortunate that so many people are left with that sour taste in their mouth after going through something so cool when it doesn't have to be like that."
Matt also reportedly claims in his book that The Bachelor cut out his deep conversations for "blatantly inauthentic dramatic twists" on Season 25.
Matt was initially selected to compete for Clare Crawley's heart on The Bachelorette's sixteenth season in 2020, but when the coronavirus pandemic delayed production on Clare's season, ABC chose to promote Matt and announce him as the Bachelor prematurely in June of that year instead.
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Matt and Rachael, however, reunited on After the Final Rose and never stopped communicating.
Although Matt explored the "gray space" of their complicated post-show relationship and acted like a single man again, the couple officially got back together in April 2021 and have seemingly been inseparable ever since.
Matt even recently said that an engagement, marriage and "everything is on the table" with Rachael, and he's working on their communication "brick by brick."
"I couldn't be better. I'm healthy, which is the biggest blessing, and I'm in a great headspace. I'm in a great relationship. I recently moved down to Miami and it's allowed me to reallocate my time, energy and resources on things that are most important to my life," Matt said.
He added, "It's been so fun to live life with Rachael as my best friend now. It's fun and easy."
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
