Controversy surrounding Kirkconnell first started in January after a Reddit user uploaded a picture of The Bachelor contestant wearing Native American attire as a costume. More recently, pictures of Kirkconnell allegedly attending an antebellum plantation themed formal for the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity in 2018 resurfaced. In the pictures, she can be seen wearing an antebellum-style gown, perpetuating the "Old South" image. She has also been accused on TikTok of racist behaviour, including bullying an alleged high school classmate for "liking Black guys" and liking photos containing the Confederate flag. Kirkconnell has yet to publicly address the photos and allegations. ABC also had no comment when reached out to by People on Feb. 10.