Update (April 29, 2021): The interesting saga of Matt James took another wild turn this week. The former reality TV beau from the popular dating reality series The Bachelor
told People that he’s back seeing Rachael Kirkconnell, the woman he gave the final rose to on the show but later ended things after racially insensitive photos surfaced from her past. 

“I’ve seen Rachael a handful of times,” James said. “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.”

As Blavity previously reported, the 29-year-old revealed last month that he and Kirkconnell broke up after the photos emerged. 

“When I questioned our relationship, it was in the context of you not fully understanding my blackness and what it means to be a Black man in America. It broke my heart because this is the last conversation I thought we'd be having. I didn't sign up to have this conversation,” James told Kirkconnell. 

Television commentator Reality Steve shared on an Instagram Live proof that James and Kirkconnell were frequently in contact after the show concluded, Heavy reports. However, a woman identifying herself as Grace told Steve in a recent livestream on Facebook that James was caught trying to meet up with another woman during a trip to Miami. 

Grace said Kirkconnell called it off with him once she found out about his infidelity. Despite the ups and downs of the whirlwind relationship, fans surmised that they might be back together because he was in Atlanta, close to Kirkconnell’s hometown, last weekend.

It's unclear if James, who's preparing for a marathon, feels Kirkconnell has committed to her pledge of educating herself about racism. For now, they appear to be working on their relationship. 

 "That's something you could talk to her about," the first Black Bachelor reality star said. "A lot of what I'm focused on right now is the work that I'm doing in the community and with the [marathon] training."

Original (March 16, 2021): Fans of The Bachelor were thrown a curveball on Monday evening when Matt James, the first Black man to serve in the titular role, chose Rachael Kirkconnell as the winner of the competition but later said the two were no longer together because she didn't understand "what it means to be a Black man in America.”

Over the past month, social media posts from Kirkconnell's past have surfaced, causing controversy within the show's massive fanbase, according to Vox. Kirkconnell, a Georgia native, had multiple photos of herself at a southern plantation-themed event and liked photos of her friends standing in front of Confederate flags, CBS News reported. 

Although the show was filmed months ago, the situation became perilous each week as James and Kirkconnell developed deep connections all while racist allegations came to light.

Fans began to speculate that despite her racist past, which James did not know about during filming, Kirkconnell would likely win, leaving the first Black bachelor with questions to answer about her past conduct. In the finale, James ended up choosing Kirkconnell over a Black woman, Michelle Young. 

But the after-show, hosted by Emmanuel Acho, aired an in-depth conversation between the two addressing the controversy, where James announced that he would not be staying with her, specifically because of the allegations. 

James said that when the revelations emerged, he believed they could get past it. 

"I dismissed them as rumors because that's what they were to me. You hear things that are heartbreaking …and you just pray they're not true. And then, when you find out that they are…it just makes you question everything," James said on the after show.

“When I questioned our relationship, it was in the context of you not fully understanding my blackness and what it means to be a Black man in America. It broke my heart because this is the last conversation I thought we'd be having. I didn't sign up to have this conversation,” James eventually told Kirkconnell. 

 

“I had to take a step back for you to put in that work that you outlined that you needed to do, and that's something that you gotta do on your own, and that's why we can't be in a relationship. I don't want to be emotionally responsible for those tears, 'cause it's like, the work and the reconciliation that needs to be done is work that I can't do for you,” James said.

Kirkconnell has released multiple apologies for the photos and criticized the millions of people who came to her defense, including the show's host, Chris Harrison. 

In February, Harrison announced he was "stepping aside" from the show following his tirade defending Kirkconnell, calling those offended by the images "woke police" and shouting at the show's first Black Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay, during a conversation about the photos. 

“I see someone who was living in this ignorance without even, like, thinking about who it would be hurting,” Kirkconnell said.

She later wrote a lengthy post on Instagram apologizing for marring the season with the controversy around her. 

"This was supposed to be a monumental season, and one of the biggest disappointments has been the overshadowing of these beautiful women and their stories," she wrote. 

"While I never expected this outcome, I respect his decision completely. of course I wish circumstances were different, but i still feel blessed for the time we did have together and the memories we made," she added. 

The show was already reeling from a widely-panned episode involving James' estranged father before the finale aired.

James later appeared on Good Morning America to speak about the controversy. 

“As someone who grew up in the South, it takes me to a place that I often try not to think about. When she spoke out and publicly acknowledged that she would do better and she apologized, is when I was finally able to take a check on myself and see where I was at, and I wasn’t OK," James said.

"It was in that moment and the conversation that I had that — Rachael might not understand what it means to be Black in America,” he added. 

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