Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell have reunited yet again. The pair, who called it quits on national TV just weeks ago, seem to be on good terms again. The Bachelor alums were seen grabbing a drink at JuneShine in Santa Monica, Los Angeles on April 24 — see all the pics here. In the photos, obtained by TMZ, Matt attempted to go incognito in a dark blue hoodie, and blue floral shorts, which he previously wore while running a marathon in New York City back in 2019.
Rachael has been with Matt all week In CA. This is from earlier today at lunch at Bear Flag Fish Co in Newport Beach. pic.twitter.com/pibFxr0Vy3
— RealitySteve (@RealitySteve) April 24, 2021
Meanwhile, Rachel wore an oversized black jacket and sunglasses resting atop her head. Although there didn’t appear to be any PDA between the pair, they were photographed leaving together. Reality Steve also posted a photo on Twitter on April 23, seemingly showing Matt and Rachel sitting at a Newport Beach restaurant together. It comes just a couple of weeks after the pair reunited in New York City.
Although fans of the pair swiftly freaked out, E! News reported that there was no romantic reconciliation between the exes. They “have been in touch, but are not back together,” a source told E! The site also reported that Matt and Rachael’s NYC reunion came about because she’d been “trying to reach” him, and he “finally agreed” to see her.
“Matt and Rachael are completely just friends,” E!’s insider said. “He has no intentions of dating her in the future.” Rachael was Matt’s final pick on season 25 of The Bachelor, which was filmed in late 2020. Although they didn’t get engaged, they left the show as a committed couple. When the popular reality show was airing in January and February, though, Rachael found herself at the center of a major racism controversy when old photos of her surfaced online, which showed her taking part in festivities at an antebellum-themed party.
On the After the Final Rose special in March 2021, the pair revealed that they had broken up weeks earlier. Rachael apologized and took accountability for her past actions in a number of Instagram posts. “As Rachael acknowledged in her apology, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done,” Matt said on ATFR. “I have to take a step back and allow her to put in that work. I’m looking forward to seeing her put in that work. We’re not together.”