Heavy/ABC Matt James wants to marry Rachael Kirkconnell.
On May 8, former “Bachelor” lead Matt James shared that he’s “planning” on marrying his girlfriend, Rachael Kirkconnell. The two met on his season of the show, which aired in 2021. Despite not getting engaged on the show’s finale, the two have been together ever since.
James, 32, has not proposed to Kirkconnell, but seems to be leaning that way. James shared a TikTok after sharing a meal with Kirkconnell at Swoony’s in New York.
“Your NYC food guide: thee best date night spot.. in Brooklyn. Zero notes. If you’re looking for a intimate setting with mouthwatering options, you’re in the right place,” he captioned the video.
“Marry this girl already… she’s perfect,” one fan commented on the video.
“Planning on it,” James responded.
Here’s what you need to know:
Matt James Opened Up About His Proposal Thoughts
In addition to responding to the fan who encouraged James to wife up Kirkconnell, he also replied to a couple of other comments about his girlfriend.
“How is she so beautiful!!!” one person wrote.
“I know, I know,” he responded.
“Rachael is perfection,” another comment read.
“Especially when she’s eating,” James said, adding the “in love” emoji.
James has stressed the importance of moving at a comfortable pace when it comes to his relationship with Kirkconnell, but he’s been thinking about the future.
“It’s about doing whatever you’re doing at your own pace, whether that’s the relationship, your job, exercise. If you do things that other people want you to do and you don’t consider y’all’s feelings, then I think that is a recipe for disaster,” he told People magazine in February.
“We wouldn’t be together if that wasn’t the same goal. I’m definitely excited for what the future looks like with us,” he continued, adding that the proposal will be “special because Rachael’s very special.”
Rachael Kirkconnell Was Involved in a ‘Bachelor’ Scandal
When James’ season of “The Bachelor” was airing in 2021, a Reddit user uploaded a couple of photos that showed Kirkconnell at an “Old South” formal. The event, which was held in 2018, is described as an “antebellum plantation-themed ball.”
The formal was held by fraternity Kappa Alpha. In October 2020, the New York Times published a feature about the fraternity, which has been referred to as racist for years. Kappa Alpha has held “Old South Week” each year.
On the “After the Final Rose” special that aired after the finale of “The Bachelor,” James told Kirkconnell that she had some work to do to educate herself.
“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,” he said. The two appeared to be broken up, but were spotted together shortly after the show aired.
“I said I was going to focus on my relationship with her and that means focusing on it,” James told People magazine in April 2021. James and Kirkconnell worked through the scandal and were able to come together; they’ve been together ever since.
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