Matt James Breaks His Silence on “Heartbreaking” Reality With Rachael Kirkconnell and Chris Harrison

The Bachelor contestant, who is still in the running to win over Matt’s heart, raised eyebrows after photos from her college days resurfaced on Reddit. In the images, which E! News hasn’t verified, Rachael was seen attending a fraternity formal in 2018, which the Reddit user described as an “Antebellum plantation themed ball.”

She would later apologize in a statement posted on social media. “At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them,” Rachael wrote on Feb. 11. “My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not acceptable or okay in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.”

Ultimately, members of Bachelor Nation have spoken out and sparked a conversation about race and diversity in the franchise. In fact, Bachelor contestants from Matt’s own season came together to release a statement.