The Bachelor star Matt James has admitted Rachael Kirkconnell gave him an "ultimatum" to get back together and be committed or else she'd walk away from their relationship.
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"There were rough patches in our relationship," Matt acknowledged during the May 25 episode of The Pomp Podcast, likely alluding to the fact he had allegedly tried to hook up with a woman named Grace in Miami a couple of days before his reunion with Rachael in NYC on April 4.
"We actually broke up for a moment while the show was airing, and then after the show aired and the finale happened, we found ourselves back together. And we're back together now."
In terms of what reconciling with Rachael looked like, Matt recalled, "It was honestly a commitment that we made to each other that we were going to work on the relationship."
"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," he admitted.
Matt was accused last month of trying to two-time Rachael and also treating Grace, a woman he had dated before and after being named The Bachelor star last year, like a booty call.
According to Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone, Matt allegedly lied to Rachael about his intentions with Grace by saying he just needed another person to fill out a table at a Miami nightclub one night.
Matt also allegedly denied to Grace over the phone he had flown Rachael to see him in New York, ultimately downplaying the significance of his apparent revived romance with his The Bachelor winner.
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Grace admitted last month on Instagram Live that Rachael deserved better, and People reported Rachael initially felt heartbroken and betrayed, which resulted in a brief period of time when Matt and Rachael were "on non-speaking terms."
"It was just a 'come-to-Jesus meeting' that I had with Rachael," Matt explained on The Pomp Podcast.
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"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 continued, "It was an ultimatum that I needed... It was what I needed and it's been great."
Matt and Rachael have since discussed the possibility of Rachael moving 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."
Matt fell in love with Rachael on The Bachelor's 25th season, which filmed in late 2020.
Matt gave Rachael his final rose 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.
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Matt explained on After the Final Rose that he wanted to give Rachael some time to educate herself on racism in society and become a better person. Matt apparently needed to know that Rachael could support him and truly understand his perspective as a Black man in America.
But Carbone previously reported that Matt began FaceTiming with Rachael every day following their After the Final Rose appearance, saying he loved her and wanted her back.
"The best thing about Rachael is her heart. She's the most kind, caring, and understanding person I've ever met," Matt revealed on the podcast.
Although it was pretty obvious Matt and Rachael had decided to give their relationship another chance 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. "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 an "incredible" woman like Rachael -- someone who can "put up" with him -- on a reality TV show.
"You have your eye on a few that first night. You have this connection, and you're like, 'I need to make sure this feeling is real, and it's validated over the course of the one-on-one dates,'" Matt recalled.
"I would say, I had an idea pretty early [that she was The One]."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
