If you've been wondering whom Matt James chose as his final pick on this tumultuous season of ABC's The Bachelor [1], you probably won't be surprised to find out that they're no longer together. On Feb. 22, James spoke out about the controversy stirring Bachelor Nation into a frenzy over the past few weeks. He reflected on how the controversy ignited necessary conversations about representation in the Bachelor [2] franchise and condemned Chris Harrison's troubling comments, admitting they've been "devastating and heartbreaking" to hear.
A quick refresher for everyone: In January, fans revealed Rachael Kirkconnell's attendance at an antebellum-themed fraternity formal in 2018, alongside detailed rumours of alleged racist comments [3], cultural appropriation, and liked photos promoting all kinds of bigotry in the past. On Feb. 9, Rachel Lindsay interviewed Chris Harrison on Extra. He launched into a tirade in defence of Kirkconnell [4] and subsequently decided to step down after being called out for perpetuating racism [5].
While James didn't address the topic of Kirkconnell directly, other than noting that her photos were disappointing, fans learned from Reality Steve that James gave Kirkconnell his final rose in the yet-to-air finale [7] back on Jan. 21. Now, according to HuffPost's Emma Gray and Claire Fallon, the Bachelor is no longer with the 24-year-old [8].
Neither James nor Kirkconnell have commented on the status of their relationship, which makes sense because the finale hasn't aired yet. We'll learn more when the "After the Final Rose" episode airs on March 15, when we'll also learn who is taking over Harrison's hosting duties [9] for the special.