How long did Matt James and Rachel Kirkconnell date? Relationship timeline explored as Bachelor star denies infidelity rumors after split

Rachel Kirkconnell has denied infidelity rumors following her split with Matt James after dating for four years. Their breakup was announced by James in an Instagram post on January 16.

In a statement to TMZ, Kirkconnell denied cheating on James during their relationship. She was caught up by the paparazzi at the Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, January 27, and was questioned about the infidelity, to which she replied confidently, “No. No, not at all.” She further said that she is, "protecting her peace" right now.

When the 28-year-old was asked if the duo would reconcile in the future, she denied it again and said,

“No, definitely not. Yeah, we’re out. We’re done.”

The Bachelor participant appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast on January 28, 2025, hosted by Alex Cooper, as per a report in People magazine. She shared how a trip to Tokyo led to their breakup.

“He said that at the end of the day, there were just qualities about me that he worries about having in a wife.”

The romance between Matt James and Rachel Kirkconnell blossomed when they met on The Bachelor in 2020. The couple eventually separated in 2025, as reported in People magazine. Here is what their relationship looked like over these years.

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Exploring the Relationship Timeline of Matt James and Rachel Kirkconnell

The Bachelor stars, Rachael Kirkconnell and Matt James, had a complex relationship that evolved significantly over the years, marked by both public scrutiny and private struggles.

2020

Matt James and Rachel Kirkconnell met on the sets of the ABC series, The Bachelor Season 25. Although the show premiered on January 4, 2021, the duo met in 2020 while it was being filmed.

According to People magazine, Kirkconnell shared her feelings for James during a group date in the show and said,

"I feel like I've been searching for what feels like my whole life for this and now I feel like I finally found it."

She added,

"The only worry is that I just don't get you at the end of this."

They hit it off at the show and were deemed as a happy couple. Eventually, Kirkconnell received the final rose.

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2021

According to the reports in February 2021, few photos emerged online that showed Rachel Kirkconnell attending an antebellum-themed plantation party in 2018, which fans considered racist. This led to an uproar on social media.

Kirkconnell issued an apology and took to Instagram to share her regret.

"I am learning and will continue to learn how to be antiracist," she said.

Another report in Distractify noted that the couple split for a brief period in March 2021. Reportedly, by April 2021 they were back together.

The reports added that James was seeing other girls when they were trying to sort out things between them.

In May 2021, during an appearance on Pomp Podcast, James revealed that Rachel had given him an ultimatum,

"She was like, ‘If you’re going to make this work, let’s do it. But if you’re not going to make it work, I’m going to let you do your own thing.’”

James also confirmed that they were officially back together as a couple,

"There were rough patches in our relationship [and] we actually broke up for a moment. We're back together [now]," he said. "Everything we've been through, everything she's been through, she's stuck right by my side. She's continued to have a positive attitude. It's one of the many things I love about her."

In June 2021, James took Kirkconnell to visit his hometown in North Carolina. They reportedly shared romantic stories and posts on their Instagram accounts during that time. The pair even attended the red carpet at the 2021 ESPY Awards and went on vacations together. They continued to support each other in the following years, and their dedication towards one another was seen on their respective social media accounts.

In 2023, according to Distractify, James discussed the tensions that erupted during their initial breakup in his book titled First Impressions. He said,

"As far as most of America was concerned, our relationship was still frozen in the blissful moment when I handed her the final rose, but so much had happened since then."

He added,

"We caught people up. We remained noncommittal. We spoke in cold, curt sentences."

In a 2024 interview, James gushed about Kirk’s culinary skills and told People magazine that she is his, “favorite cook.”

"I'll take that over anything. She knows I like the waffle crispy with the butter on there and the syrup warmed up. It's that touch that you don't get going out.”

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However, the couple abruptly parted ways in 2025 as James shared a heartfelt post on Instagram announcing their split.