Shooting her shot! Nikki Glaser admitted to direct messaging Matt James after watching his “sweet” reunion with his dad, Manny, on The Bachelor.
“I think I DM’d the Bachelor. Matt James,” Glaser, 36, said in a teaser for the Monday, March 29, episode of “This Is Paris” podcast. “I DM’d him before I knew what happened with the whole thing, because I was watching The Bachelor and he reunited with his father.”
The comedian called his interaction with his estranged father during the March 8, episode, “so sweet,” explaining that she felt compelled to reach out to him on Instagram.
“I assumed he was with someone at this point in the show,” she explained. “I just wrote him being, like, ‘That was the sweetest thing ever,’ but also leaving the door open of, also, ‘If you didn’t find the one, I’m here. DMs are open.’”
The Nikki Glaser: Bangin’ star told host Paris Hilton that James, 29, “didn’t read it yet,” noting “that’s promising” since the North Carolina native is currently single after breaking up with season 25 winner Rachael Kirkconnell in February after she was accused of racially charged past actions.
Even if James isn’t interested in a romantic relationship with the “You Up” podcast host, Glaser said she’s “not embarrassed by my slide.” She added: “There was nothing [bad]. [It’s] me just saying, ‘That was really sweet. I’m happy for you.’”
James, for his part, has been on a whirlwind emotional journey the last few months after Kirkconnell, who was an early favorite on his season, was called out earlier this year for attending a plantation-themed sorority event in 2018 and “liking” photos with a Confederate flag in them.
While the graphic designer, 24, sparked headlines regarding her past, Chris Harrison made waves for defending her during a February interview with Rachel Lindsay for Extra. After receiving backlash for not denouncing racism outright, the Bachelor Nation host, 49, temporarily stepped back from his hosting duties. Both Harrison and Kirkconnell have since publicly apologized on multiple occasions.
When season 25’s finale aired on March 15, fans learned that James picked the Georgia native and asked her to continue dating him. Off camera, however, their relationship couldn’t stand the pressures caused by Kirkconnell’s racially insensitive remarks and the ABC Food Tours founder broke up with her ahead of the After the Final Rose special, which also aired on March 15.
“Matt broke up with her to protect himself. It came at a bit of a shock to Rachael,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly after the news came out.
James received a lot of backlash and negative comments for calling things off with Kirkconnell, resulting in a social media purge. After taking a brief break from Instagram, the former college athlete returned to the app on Thursday, March 25, but wiped his account of all-things Bachelor.
No photos from his time on the ABC series remain on his profile, but his initial statement about Harrison and Kirkconnell’s actions is still visible.
A week prior, James gave fans an update on his mental health following his public breakup. “I’m wearing my emotions on my beard right now,” he joked while appearing on the March 19, episode of the “Bill Simmons” podcast. “I’m good. I’m good right now.”
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