Rachael Kirkconnell has yet to release a statement on her split from Matt James, but she has been shedding some light on the breakup by interacting with fan comments on Instagram, including one that speculated she was "completely blindsided" by his announcement.

The news of the longtime couple’s split had fans confused after their breakup timeline didn’t sit right due to their recent social media activity.

Kirkconnell earned Janes’ final rose on The Bachelor, though the two had split by the time the season’s After the Final Rose special aired in March 2021. At the time, James said they broke up after Kirkconnell’s past racially insensitive social media activity resurfaced. However, they reconnected just one month later.