The Bachelor’s Rachael Kirkconnell Reveals Shocking Reason Matt James Split Was “Blessing In Disguise” After Producers Made Her Feel Like A Failure

The Bachelor's Rachael Kirkconnell and Matt James may have broken up, but Rachael just called the split a "blessing in disguise" despite admitting she might "always be a little bummed out" about the way it ended. Matt and Rachael famously met during The Bachelor season 25, and Matt chose Rachael for his final rose, although he didn't propose. The pair remained together and was one of Bachelor Nation's most beloved couples to come from the franchise, with Matt becoming a food influencer since their time on the show. Matt and Rachael's split in January 2025 made headlines for blindsiding Rachael.

Rachael opened up to Us Weekly about how she's been doing in the months since splitting up with Matt and how she feels about the breakup now, saying everything happens for a reason and the split was something that needed to occur. Rachael said she's doing well since the split, and is "trusting the process." Despite claiming that the breakup was a blessing, she shockingly admitted that she doesn't "even know" why she feels that way; she just does and she's decided to trust that gut feeling.

"I'm a very firm believer in thinking that it was a blessing in disguise and everything happens for a reason, and that that's just something that needed to happen in my life. I don’t even know for what reason, but I’m trusting it. I’m trusting the process. I’m doing good and things are OK. As sad as it is, it happens for a reason."

Rachael continued on to say that she still feels like the breakup happened "out of nowhere" and she feels like Matt probably has some regrets about that, although she doesn't reveal whether she and Matt are still in contact. She can reflect on the relationship with the benefit of hindsight, and it seems like she's processing it in a healthy way. The ending is the most troubling part for her, since she and Matt dated for over four years, and the abrupt split undermined the time they spent together.

"I do think that whether there was either some regret [regarding] the breakup in the first place—or at least the way that it was handled—that’s probably there [on his end] if I had to guess or if I had to say without saying."

"It's just sad to look back on now—four years later, that's how things went out. It's something to not dwell on, but something that I wonder if I'll always be a little bummed out about."

What Rachael Calling Her Breakup A Blessing In Disguise Means

Rachael Is Looking On The Bright Side

Rachael is putting on a brave face amid a very public breakup. She's been able to process publicly, even sharing in the immediate weeks following the split that The Bachelor producers made Rachel feel like a failure after she and Matt failed to get engaged on camera. Rachael seems like a lot of women following a traumatic breakup, in that she's picking up the pieces and moving forward while recognizing that the split was actually for the best.

Our Take On Rachael Calling Her Breakup A Blessing In Disguise

Rachael Has A Positive Attitude

Rachael isn't publicly bashing her ex or spilling tea from the relationship. She's simply grieving the four years she spent with Matt, but it seems like she's looking forward to the next chapter. Admitting that the split was inevitable is a healthy way for Rachael to process what happened, since she wasn't meant to be with Matt if they couldn't find happiness together. It's the silver lining in any breakup: if it simply wasn't meant to be, it makes it a whole lot easier to move on, which Rachael is doing.