In 2021, Matt James broke ground on The Bachelor season 25 as the first Black Bachelor, and he's been keeping busy since he starred on the reality dating series. Matt first became known to audiences as The Bachelorette season 15 runner-up Tyler Cameron's best friend. He was then cast as a contestant on Clare Crawley's Bachelorette season, but filming was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. Instead, Matt was then cast as the lead of The Bachelor season 25.

During The Bachelor season 25, Matt met and fell in love with Rachael Kirkconnell. However, during filming, photographs of Rachael attending an antebellum South plantation-themed fraternity formal in 2018 resurfaced. She was also accused of liking problematic social media posts with the Confederate flag and bullying a girl for dating Black men in high school. During Matt's "After the Final Rose" episode, which aired on March 15, 2021, the show revealed that Matt had broken up with Rachael because of this. However, on April 28, 2021, Matt confirmed that he and Rachael had gotten back together. Here's what Matt's been up to since his Bachelor season ended.

Matt James Broke Up With Rachael Kirkconnell In January 2025

Matt Blindsided Rachael When They Split

Matt and Rachael had been dating since 2021, and they were one of the only Bachelor couples who stayed together after their finale. In a February 2024 interview with Matt shared that he was excited for what the future looked like for him and Rachael, and that they wouldn't be together if they didn't have the same goal of getting engaged some day. Matt said of the proposal, "It's going to be something special because Rachael's very special."

However, on January 16, 2025, Matt took to Instagram to announce that he and Rachael had broken up. He shared a photograph of them meeting during The Bachelor season 25 premiere night, with the caption, "Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts. Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding. Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord."

On the January 28, 2025 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, Rachael shared that she was in total shock about Matt breaking up with her because it came out of nowhere. They'd taken a trip to Tokyo, and were even talking about rings and wedding dates, but Rachael said that she believed that they were irritating each other after spending three weeks together.

Matt told Rachael that there were qualities about her that he worried about having in a wife, and he should want to propose to her by that point in their relationship, but he didn't feel that he could ever see himself married to her. Rachael also said that infidelity didn't play a part in the breakup.

Rachael itted that it was a lot to hear all at once because, a few days before, she'd been hearing the opposite. She was also shocked by his post, which he shared just a few hours after the breakup. Her best friend texted her about it right before she was about to take off on a 12-hour flight from Tokyo to Atlanta with no cell phone service. Rachael said that she was "freaking out" because of it.

Rachael revealed that Matt called her at 1 a.m. four or five days after he broke up with her, and has tried to check in with her a few times after that. She shared that she confronted him about his Instagram post, and he itted that he could've handled the breakup a lot better. He also apologized to her.

Rachael added that she doesn't want the world to think that Matt is a "bad" guy. However, she also stated that she doesn't think that she could ever get back together with him because of the things that he said to her and how he showed her disrespect with his Instagram post. Rachael said that she forgives him, but, even if it's hard, she has to stand up for herself and be on her own.

Matt Had A Podcast

Matt Hosted Riser Diaries

In a February 2024 Instagram post, Matt introduced his new podcast, Riser Diaries. The caption read, " me, and my special guests, as we break down what it costs - and more importantly what it pays - to follow your dreams on @turbotax's bew Riser Diaries Podcast." Matt continued, "From the low lows to the high highs, we cover the remarkable journey of each guest and discuss some of the unexpected financial challenges they faced along the way." The podcast has one season with six episodes as of January 2025.

Matt Competed On Dancing With The Stars Season 30

Matt Placed 12th In The Competition

In 2021, Matt was a contestant on Dancing With The Stars season 30. He placed 12th in the competition, along with his professional dance partner, Lindsay Arnold. During his time on the show, Matt danced the cha-cha-cha, samba, tango, quickstep, and paso doble. His highest score from the judges--Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, Derek Hough, and Bruno Tonioli--was 31 out of 40 for his paso doble.

Matt Co-Founded A Non-Profit Organization With Tyler Cameron

Matt & Tyler Run ABC Food Tours

Since his time on The Bachelor, Matt and Tyler co-founded a nonprofit organization called ABC Food Tours, which, according to its official website is "dedicated to connecting underserved communities with opportunities for advancement." The nonprofit partners with restaurants and companies to bring food tours to underserved schools. According to ABC Food Tours' LinkedIn page, they work to "create experiences for New York city students facing challenges in food insecurity and adversity at home. They have exposed them to positive role models for healthy lifestyles, professional careers, and arts leadership."

Matt Is A Marathon Runner

Matt Has Run In The NYC Marathon

After The Bachelor, Matt has spent some of his time training for and running marathons, including the New York City Marathon. In a November 2023 Instagram post, Matt shared a series of photographs of himself running the marathon, and revealed his new personal best time of 3 hours and 4 minutes.

Matt ed His Mother Patty When She Was A Golden Bachelor Contestant

Patty Was A Contestant On Gerry Turner's Golden Bachelor Season

Matt's beloved mother, Patty James, was a contestant on The Golden Bachelor season 1. Although Gerry Turner eliminated her on night one, Matt was ive of his mother's journey. He wanted her to find love.

Matt has been a busy man since he filmed The Bachelor season 25. He not only found love with Rachael, but he is also using his platform for good. Now that he's broken up with Rachael, he'll be on a new path in life. Matt is wished all the best as he moves forward with his life.

The Bachelor starring Grant Ellis airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

Sources: People, Matt James/Instagram, Call Her Daddy, Matt James/Instagram, DWTS DANCES/YouTube, ABC Food Tours, ABC Food Tours/LinkedIn, Matt James/Instagram