Matt James returned to Instagram just over a week after his former girlfriend, Rachael Kirkconnell, discussed their abrupt breakup on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast.
The 33-year-old former Bachelor shared a video of himself exercising during a recent vacation in Africa.
"Morning run with friends in Kenya," Matt captioned the clip uploaded to Instagram on Thursday, February 6.
Matt, 33, and Rachael, 28, first met during his stint on The Bachelor in 2021. Although he didn't propose in the finale, they exited the show as a couple. Their relationship soon faced challenges when Rachael was caught up in a racism controversy. Images surfaced of her attending a plantation party and dressed as a Native American, leading to public outrage. The controversy strained their relationship, and by the After the Final Rose episode, they had parted ways.
However, their separation was brief, and they reconciled a few months later, maintaining a strong relationship until Matt's surprising announcement on January 16 that they had broken up after four years.
"Father God, grant Rachael and me the strength to heal our broken hearts. Give us peace with our decision to end our relationship that surpasses human understanding," Matt wrote alongside a photo of the pair on The Bachelor set. "Bless our friends and family with kindness and love to support us. And remind us that our joy comes from you, Lord."
The next day, a source exclusively informed Life & Style that the Georgia native was completely taken aback by Matt's choice to end their relationship.
“From the outset of their relationship, Matt and Rachael's connection has been viewed with skepticism,” an insider revealed. “With their second breakup now public, the burning question is: ‘Was Rachael caught off guard?’”
Emma McIntyre / Getty ImagesThe insider elaborated, “In short, yes, but her friends believe she should have anticipated it. Numerous warning signs were present. The most significant being his persistent commitment issues from the start.”
Rachael addressed their separation during an interview on January 28 with Alex Cooper on her podcast, “Call Her Daddy.” She explained that Matt was “insistent that [she] struggled with admitting [her] mistakes or taking responsibility” in their relationship.
She mentioned that their breakup took place while they were visiting Tokyo.
The former reality television personality acknowledged that they had encountered a few minor disagreements, but none seemed significant enough to suggest he was contemplating ending their relationship.
“We skipped lunch [and] returned to the hotel, where we ended up having a more in-depth discussion,” Rachael shared with 30-year-old Alex. “He essentially expressed everything he had been feeling for some time. He mentioned that ultimately, there were qualities about me that he was concerned about in a potential spouse. He pointed out incompatibilities between us, mentioning aspects like accountability and the act of apologizing.”
Rachael further noted that Matt had come to the “realization” that while he felt he should have “wanted to propose,” he “couldn’t envision himself” asking her to marry him.
“He said that perhaps, eventually, he might reach that point,” the graphic designer added. “But he doesn’t feel prepared at this moment.”