Matt James Told Rachael K. He’s ‘Fallen in Love’ With Her—And Twitter Is Not Happy

I think it’s safe to say this season of The Bachelor has been…frustrating. Matt James made history as the first Black Bachelor, which was originally met with praise and is still an important step toward progress. But the romantic bliss was cut short when racist photos resurfaced from frontrunner Rachael Kirkconnell. (She attended an “Old South” party in college.) 

To make matters worse, Chris Harrison defended her actions (before she apologized) in an interview with the first Black Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay. This led to Harrison taking a step back from the franchise. That’s a lot to digest, especially as fans are watching James fall in love with Kirkconnell on the show, knowing he doesn’t know about her past. When the drama first broke, James released a statement explaining he was “learning about these situations in real time” and that they’ve been “devastating and heartbreaking.” 

Kirkconnell did own her mistakes in a statement, but that doesn’t mean fans want James to choose her in the end. But after March 8’s episode, it looks like James is completely smitten with the Georgia-native. 

“Where I’m at with you is I’ve fallen in love with you,” James told Kirckonnell during the episode, to which she replied, “I’m head over heels for you. I’m completely in love with you.”

Let’s just say, Twitter had some feelings about this. “Matt anytime anyone other than Rachael says I love you #TheBachelor,” one fan tweeted, referencing the fact that Bri and Michelle also told James they loved him, but he didn’t offer much of a reply.

Another viewer wrote, “He can’t picture his life without Rachael when Bri and Michelle are RIGHT THERE??? #TheBachelor.”

“The only person he says he loves is RACHAEL?!” one user added.

Other fans pointed out James continues to bring up the fact he realized how much he cared about Kirkconnell after she had a rough landing post-skydiving.

“Rachael is really going to win this season bc this guy didn’t land the right way huh #TheBachelor,” one person wrote. Another added, “Hold on hold on hold on, are we going to act like Matt saying he’s glad Rachael didn’t die in the skydiving accident is romantic and not just…a basic human feeling? #TheBachelor.”

A lot of the episode also focused on Kirkconnell  being upset over the other women having overnight dates with Matt James—even though that’s what happens every season.

Oof. I guess we’ll see soon how this season ends, huh?