‘The Bachelor’ Matt James Reveals What Really Happened in the Fantasy Suite

Matt James holding a coat over his shoulder

ABC Matt James.

Matt James is speaking out about his experience on “The Bachelor” and he has revealed what went down during his Fantasy Suite dates with his top three women; Rachael Kirkconnell, Bri Springs, and Michelle Young.

Matt was featured in a new piece for the Wall Street Journal Titled “For ‘Bachelor’ Matt James, the Power of a Second Chance.” In that interview, Matt discussed his relationship with season pick, Rachael, and got candid about what happened when the cameras stopped rolling for one night while he was at Nemacolin Resort.

“Ultimately ‘The Bachelor’s’ about more than myself. It’s about all the women who were there and their journeys. There’s a lot of things that didn’t make air that you’ve just got to hope that [the editors] knew a lot better than I do,” Matt told the outlet, adding that he chose not to hook up with any of the women during the Fantasy Suite dates.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the show, the Fantasy Suite dates are marked as the first time a lede gets alone time — without cameras rolling — with their top three. They are given a key and an option to “stay as a couple” in the Fantasy Suite, which is often set up for romance with candles and rose petals, offering the perfect setting for two people to take their relationship to the next level.

Here’s what you need to know:


Matt Revealed That He Wanted to Learn More About the Women, so He Used the Fantasy Suite Dates to Have Deep Conversations

Matt is one of the few “Bachelor” stars that chose not to have sex during the Fantasy Suite dates. In fact, these dates are often predictable and fans will often find details about what really went down on various media outlets after the episode airs.

While Matt appeared wildly attracted to all three of the women that were offered Fantasy Suite dates, he chose to use that time for something else; deep conversations.

“I can’t speak for anybody but myself, but I think the women appreciated it. Because I did learn things about them that I hadn’t gathered — that I don’t think I would have learned if I hadn’t used that time to really dive deeper into something that they might not have been comfortable talking about on camera,” he told the Wall Street Journal.


Matt Was Praised by Fans for Being ‘Respectful’ When Discussing the Fantasy Suite Dates & for the Candid Interview Overall

Matt’s interview with the Wall Street Journal seemed to paint him in a very different light than the editing on “The Bachelor” did. While many people thought that Matt was dull and boring, he seemed to have a different perspective on what actually went down on the show, and he talked openly about it with WSJ.

“Even if it’s not true this is the answer I’d want if I was one of the girls he took to the fantasy suites. Respectful answer to everyone involved,” one Reddit user commented on a thread dedicated to the interview.

“It nothing else, the show seems to have brought about an opportunity for family reconciliation, and that’s awesome. I thought it might have, seeing as his mom posted a picture of Matt as a little kid with his dad a while back. Overall, I’m glad Matt is doing well and doesn’t seem to hold bitterness about his experience when he easily could. The best thing to do is to move on and succeed in his ventures and personal happiness, and he seems to be doing that,” wrote another.

Excellent interview. I urge everybody to give it a read – it delves into the myriad facets of Matt’s experience, and all of the introspection post-show. He is direct, but empathetic. Also, probably important for those who tend to paint him with a single brush, and/or sometimes not-so-tenderly inflict their own biases whilst judging him and his relationship with Rachael,” echoed a third.

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