Matt James has posted his first set of photos with Rachael Kirkconnell on Instagram since getting back together with his The Bachelor winner after their February split.
|
ADVERTISEMENT
|
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Rachael reposted Matt's photo on her own Instagram Story and added, "What @mattjames919 said. Today was a good one!"
The pair had "a good day" visiting a New York City school for ABC Food Tours, a small charity organization Matt and his best friend, The Bachelorette alum Tyler Cameron, run to encourage physical and mental wellness for children from underserved communities in New York.
Matt also posted a photo with Rachael on his Instagram page that same day in which the Georgia native appeared to be embracing a young student.
"The gift of conversation lies less in displaying it ourselves than in drawing it out of others. Today we began a series focused on financial literacy (savings accounts, what is crypto currency, budgeting, etc.)," Matt shared with his followers in the caption.
"Our goal is (and always has been) to provide access to resources, individuals, & opportunities so that our students can make informed decisions for themselves and their families. Feed, Educate, Connect."
Matt gave Rachael his final rose on The Bachelor's Season 25 finale, which filmed in late 2020 and aired in March, but the couple split in February when racially-ignorant and racially-insensitive photos from Rachael's past resurfaced online, including a 2018 image of Rachael attending an antebellum-themed "Old South" party at her Georgia college with sorority sisters.
Matt explained on After the Final Rose in March that he wanted to give Rachael some time to educate herself on racism in society and gain awareness. Matt apparently needed to know that Rachael could support him and truly understand his perspective as a Black man in America.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
After his The Bachelor stint, Matt wiped his Instagram clean, seemingly in attempt to have a fresh start.
Rachael claimed Matt was being subjected to harassment and hate after ending their relationship, but she defended him on social media and even publicly called him "the love of my life."
FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS!
Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source!
When Matt returned to social media in March, he only shared photos of friends, family, sports activities and events related to his charity work. There was no trace of Rachael or his time on The Bachelor.
But according to Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone, Matt could only stand his breakup from Rachael for about a month because he allegedly began FaceTiming with her every day following their ATFR appearance, saying he still loved her and wanted her back.
Matt and Rachael apparently reunited on April 4 in New York City to give their relationship another shot.
But, according to Carbone, Rachael left Matt's place heartbroken and devastated after discovering he had allegedly tried to hook up with an old flame named Grace -- whom Matt had dated before and after being named The Bachelor star last year -- in Miami just a couple of days prior.
People reported at the time Matt and Rachael proceeded "on non-speaking terms," but then Rachael eventually decided to give Matt another chance. The couple was subsequently spotted hanging out together in Los Angeles and Miami.
"There were rough patches in our relationship... [but] we're back together now," Matt acknowledged during the May 25 episode of The Pomp Podcast.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Matt admitted, "There came a point in time where it was evident that my working on the relationship looked different than Rachael's because I wasn't really honoring that commitment that I made to working on our relationship."
ADVERTISEMENT
"She was like, 'If you're going to make this work, then let's do it. But, if you're not going to make it work, then I'm going to let you do your own thing.' That's really all I needed," Matt recalled.
"It's been great... The best thing about Rachael is her heart. She's the most kind, caring, and understanding person I've ever met."
Although it was pretty obvious Matt and Rachael had reconciled last month, Matt was allegedly hesitant for several weeks to shout the news from the rooftops and publicly confirm their relationship status.
"Everything we've been through, everything she's been through, she's stuck right by my side," Matt said on the podcast. "She's continued to have a positive attitude. It's one of the many things I love about her."
Matt gushed about how he was "shocked" to find such an "incredible" woman like Rachael -- someone who can "put up" with him and was actually listening to Matt's interview in the studio -- on a reality TV show.
Matt and Rachael have since discussed the possibility of Rachael relocating from Georgia to New York City, where Matt currently resides, and moving in together, E! News reported last week.
"Matt and Rachael are in a really good place right now and are getting serious. They are inseparable and talk all day, every day," a source close to Matt told the website.
"They have been making many plans to see each other so not a huge chunk of time passes before their next visit... [Rachael] has always loved the city, so it would work out well."
The source added that Matt "is truly in love" with Rachael and they "have a special bond" and "really turned a leaf in their relationship."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
