Matt James’ Follower Count Plummets After Rachael Kirkconnell Breakup Bombshell

Nearly two weeks after her split from Matt James, "The Bachelor" alum Rachael Kirkconnell is shedding light on what led to their breakup, and it's clear that fans are taking sides.

During a candid January 28 appearance on "Call Her Daddy," the 28-year-old revealed the details of their unexpected split, which happened while the couple was vacationing in Tokyo.

Following the release of her tell-all interview, Matt James has seen a noticeable drop in his Instagram following, suggesting that much of Bachelor Nation is siding with Rachael Kirkconnell.

While neither Matt nor Rachael has publicly addressed each other since the podcast aired, it seems the court of public opinion has already ruled. Following Rachael’s interview, Matt lost over 10,000 Instagram followers overnight, with many fans voicing their disappointment over how things ended.

"What did he expect...very classless move on his part..." one Instagram user expressed.

"He was exposed," another wrote. "He has a superiority complex and needs to do the work, only he’s not recovering from this."

"She has a million now, and he doesn’t," a third said.

Though the former couple has weathered controversy before, most notably in 2021 when Matt briefly split from Rachael over resurfaced photos from her past, their latest breakup appears to be final.

During their trip to Tokyo, Rachael shared that minor disagreements arose from her feeling "overwhelmed" by the responsibility of selecting restaurants and helping Matt with his content creation. These small tensions eventually escalated, bringing deeper issues in their relationship to the surface.

“We had gotten into an argument right then and there, like walking in the street, we skipped lunch, we went back to the hotel and just ended up having a bigger conversation,” she explained. “We were just a little irritated with one another. But then it was like, okay, now that we're back here again where you're annoyed with me, I'm annoyed with you. I feel like you're in the wrong. You feel like I'm in the wrong. He really just kind of let out everything that I guess he had been feeling for a while. I don't know.”

According to Rachael, Matt, who gave her his final rose in 2021, initiated the split after nearly four years together, citing concerns about their compatibility.

“He said that at the end of the day, there were just qualities about me that he worries about having in a wife,” Rachael shared on the podcast. “At the end of the day, [he said] there are things that we aren't compatible with.”

She also recalled feeling like she was often the only one taking responsibility in their relationship, but it was Matt’s hesitation about marriage that ultimately ended things.

“It was just one of those things where he, I think, just had this realization that, ‘I should want to propose to you by this time,’” Rachael explained. “‘At this point in our relationship, I should be wanting those things and I should be ready for that. But I'm not still. I still don't feel like we're ready, or I don't feel like I'm ready. I don't know if I ever see myself proposing to you. I can't actually see myself married to you.’”

Hearing Matt’s doubts, Rachael knew it was time to walk away.

“I said, ‘Well, I feel like after four years you should know or you should feel ready,’” she recalled telling him. “‘We probably shouldn't be together if you don't feel like that after four years because you know me better than anyone. I know you better than anyone, so you should know by now if you see this for the long haul or not.’”

In regard to any reconciliation, Rachael admitted she doesn't think she can because "I think when someone says those things that he said, you know, ‘I don’t think you’re my person. I don’t see us getting married,’ I think that’s when you have to call it quits."

She added, "Just the way that he handled all of this and this post and everything. I forgive him, but I just don’t think I can be with someone that. I felt like he disrespected me at the end of the day doing that.”

Now, as both navigate life post-"Bachelor," only time will tell what’s next for Matt and Rachael.