Matt James ended up delivering his final rose and, surprisingly, it went to Rachael Kirkconnell, who made headlines recently after photos of her in a pre-war plantation-themed formal fraternity in 2018 resurfaced.
But during the “After the Rose” ceremony, hosted by Emmanuel I think, James said he had broken up with Kirkconnell after the controversy.
“When I questioned our relationship, it was in the context of you not fully understanding my blackness and what it means to be a black man in America,” James told Kirkconnell during Monday’s episode. “It broke my heart, because this is the last conversation I thought we would have. I didn’t sign up for this conversation.”
Kirkconnell then apologized, saying he was “living in ignorance” and “I never wondered what is the tradition behind it? What does it represent?”
“I could have easily asked myself these questions. I never had time to make that connection.”