ABC/Craig Sjodin Matt James on 'The Bachelor.'
Even though we are halfway through season 25 of The Bachelor, the same question lingers: Why does Matt James kiss with his eyes open? His recent appearance on Watch What Happens Live seems to provide at least some insight.
When asked by the Bravo talk show’s host, Andy Cohen, about his first kiss, James recounted the harrowing story.
The real estate broker explained, “I was in seventh grade and I snuck out of the movie theaters to make out with my current girlfriend and I bit her lip so hard that she bled down her chin.”
He blamed the incident for his open-eyed kisses, quipping, “I was so traumatized by that experience, I think I started kissing with my eyes open after that so I made sure everything was going the right direction.”
Fans seemed to really take notice of this habit starting with the second episode of the season. One fan’s tweet, “i’ve found Matt James’ glaring flaw: he kisses with his eyes open,” echoes the sentiment of many of the dating competition’s viewers.
James Previously Shared a Similar Explanation for His Open-Eyed Kisses
😂😂😂 ayyyyoooo @mattjames919 what we got going on over here
Doing the work of Bachelor Nation, Tyler Cameron was able to get a response from his New York City roommate when he retweeted a photo of his best friend mid-kiss.
The initial tweet asked, “YOOOOO WHY ARE UR EYES OPEN BRO,” which Cameron added to when he tweeted, “yyyyoooo [Matt James] what we got going on over here?”
The former football player’s response falls in line with his trauma-based theory, writing “Gotta make sure no one sneaking up on us! When your eyes are closed.. ANYTHING can happen! It’s for both of our protection.”
Not having the experience of appearing on a previous iteration of the dating franchise, his reasoning may not be all that far off. A contestant could “steal him for a second” at any point in the night!
James Is Uncomfortable Watching His Kissing on the Show
During a January appearance on ACC Network’s In Play, James was asked by hosts Kelsey Riggs and EJ Manuel to explain his particular way of making out.
“Dang, you all threw me under the bus, that’s crazy,” he laughed off the inquisition, according to E! News. “I guess I didn’t realize I kiss with my eyes open until people were videotaping me kiss people, and I’m watching it back. I’m like, Yo, what are you doing?”
The Bachelor then went-so far as to issue an apology, saying, “It was just as uncomfortable for me to watch as everyone else. So like, everyone is telling me, ‘You need to close your eyes!’ There’s gonna be a lot of this because this has already been filmed. I apologize to fans, but maybe I need to start wearing shades? If I were to do this again, I’d probably have an eye patch or something. It’s a learning experience.”
James’ forays into kissing can be seen every Monday night on ABC at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
READ NEXT: Musical Parody of ‘The Bachelor’ Goes Viral on TikTok