Matt James confesses he is giving Rachael Kirkconnell another shot!
On Wednesday, the former Bachelor confirmed to People that he has caught up with the season 25 contestant “a handful of times” since their breakup earlier this year. James even admitted they plan to pursue a relationship AGAIN, explaining:
“I’m not pursuing any relationships right now outside of that. I said I was going to focus on my relationship with her, and that means focusing on it.”
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WOW, that is a big difference from a couple of weeks ago when the couple was reportedly not on speaking terms after their meetup in New York City and the Grace Amerling debacle.
As Bach fanatics know, James ended the ABC reality dating series last month by giving the final rose and not proposing to Kirkconnell. However, the pair’s love story had been thwarted with some serious scandals. While the season aired, the 24-year-old came under fire for multiple allegations of racist behavior on social media, including resurfaced photos of her attending a plantation-themed party in college. Then, there was the disaster interview with (on-hiatus) host Chris Harrison, in which he defended Rachael’s insensitive actions.
Despite multiple apologies on Instagram, the 29-year-old decided to end the relationship with the graphic designer. In March, he officially announced the split on the After the Final Rose special, telling the ex he wanted “to take a step back and allow her to put in that work.” He added:
“The work and reconciliation that needs to be done is work that I can’t do for you. And I know that you’re capable of doing it.”
You would think that would have been it, right?! Well, Bachelor Nation always knows how to pack on the most dramatic romance stories ever, so there were certainly a couple of more chapters left in the Matt and Rachael novel. Following ATFR, rumors started swirling that the two had reconciled after a fan reportedly spotted them out and about together in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
However, the rekindled relationship took a turn for the worse after a woman claimed she had been with James while he was in Florida in April. An insider told Us Weekly at the time:
“Rachael is very emotional right now because she was very hopeful that things were going to work out. She’s still trying to process this.”
But the exes were then seen together in California less than two weeks later, sparking reunion speculations yet again. Turns out it was all true!
To be honest, it is difficult to imagine how much “work” Rachael could have done in just a little over a month to change things. Just saying! In terms of what she HAS done, James told People, “that’s something you could talk to her about.”
The duo must really have a deep connection for Matt to give their coupling a second chance. What are your thoughts, guys? Drop us your reactions in the comments (below).
[Image via Rachael Kirkconnell/Instagram & Bachelor Nation/YouTube ]
The post <i>Bachelor</i>’s Matt James Admits He IS ‘Pursuing’ Relationship With Rachael Kirkconnell Following Racism Scandal & Reconciliation Rumors appeared first on Perez Hilton.