The Bachelor star Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell were photographed looking like a real couple this week in New York City.
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Not only were the pair walking side by side, but Matt also put his arm around Rachael's back to escort her into a building, TMZ reported.
According to an eyewitness, Matt and Rachael were even holding hands at one point.
Matt was clearly trying not to call attention to himself by wearing a grey hoodie and grey sweatpants, and Rachael sported a casual back hoodie under a jean jacket with black pants.
Late last month, Matt, who currently lives in New York, confirmed to People he had already "seen Rachael a handful of times."
Matt revealed of the Georgia native, "I'm not pursuing any relationships right now outside of that. I [am] going to focus on my relationship with her."
After Matt and Rachael were spotted in New York in April followed by Los Angeles, CA, a source told E! News, "They aren't back together but definitely still have feelings."
The Season 25 The Bachelor star revealed on the After the Final Rose broadcast in March he had broken up with Rachael in mid-February after she apologized for her racially-ignorant and racially-insensitive behavior over the last several years.
Rachael, for instance, came under fire for posing in photos at an antebellum-themed "Old South" fraternity party at her Georgia college in 2018.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Matt said at the time he wanted to give Rachael some space and allow her the opportunity to educate herself on racism in America and "put in the work" to become a better person.
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When People asked Matt whether Rachael has done the work she promised, Matt replied, "That's something you could talk to her about."
Matt and Rachael's apparent April reconciliation came about a week after Us Weekly reported the pair were "on non-speaking terms" due to The Bachelor star's alleged attempt to two-time Rachael.
Matt was accused of trying to hook up with a woman named Grace in Florida on April 4 and then reuniting with Rachael in New York only two days later.
"Matt felt horrible about what went down with him and Rachael recently and wanted to see her. He initiated the [Los Angeles] visit," a source recently shared with Us.
Although Rachael was initially skeptical of Matt's intentions after he was allegedly caught lying to her, the source said, "They are having a good time right now and everything feels back to normal between them."
Reality Steve spoiler blogger Steve Carbone previously reported that Matt had allegedly FaceTimed with Rachael every day after their ATFR appearance and said he still loved her and wanted to get back together.
However, on April 4, Matt allegedly reached out to Grace, a woman he had dated before and after Matt was named The Bachelor star last year, during a trip to Miami.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
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A source told Us last month that Rachael thought she and Matt were on the track to getting back together but once she found out about Grace, she felt "manipulated," "played" and "devastated" by her ex-boyfriend.
Carbone claimed Matt had lied to Grace about his romantic pursuit of Rachael and also lied to Rachael about his motive for seeing Grace again. (Matt allegedly told Rachael that he needed one more person to fill out a table at a Miami nightclub, but Grace claimed Matt had offered to spend the evening with her alone if she wasn't up for clubbing).
Grace said on Instagram that Rachael was the real "victim" in the situation and deserves "someone better" than Matt.
"At a certain point when you start changing your character and lying and gaslighting and doing all of these things to protect your image and your fame, that's sort of when I have an issue," Grace told Carbone in a subsequent Instagram Live session.
"All power to you if you go on the show for fame, but in Matt's case, it got to a point where it was a little too much."
But Rachael has insisted since The Bachelor finale aired that Matt is the love of her life, and she also defended him against bullying and harassment following the public announcement of their split.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
