Matt James is ‘NOT back with Rachael Kirkconnell’

He sparked rumors he had reconciled with his ex Rachael Kirkconnell after the duo were spotted hanging out together in New York City.

But as it turns out, Matt James is still ‘just friends’ with the woman he gave his final rose to.

‘They are not together. He supports her as a friend. He is not looking for a relationship,’ a source told People.

Fans have been wondering what has been going on between the pair after photos of the duo hanging out in New York surfaced on the Instagram account Deuxmoi, however the source insisted they are ‘just friends. 

Now back on the market, Matt has been shifting his focus back onto working on projects in the community, the insider added. 

Matt and Rachael started dating after leaving as a couple on The Bachelor.

Despite there being no engagement, Matt and Rachael ended the show professing their love for one another and agreeing to continue their relationship off camera.

However it was not long until controversy drove a wedge between the pair. 

Controversy: James split from Rachael after photos of her attending a plantation-themed party surfaced

Photos of Rachael attending a plantation-themed party in 2018 surfaced, along with other problematic content.

The photos landed not just Rachael in hot water, but host Chris Harrison, who defended the behavior in an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay. This ultimately led to him stepping aside from the franchise.

Both Chris and Rachael have repeatedly apologized for their actions.

Back at it: Now back on the market, Matt has been shifting his focus back onto working on projects in the community, the source said

Controversy: Chris Harrison landed in the middle of the Kirkconnell scandal after coming to her defense during an interview with Rachel Lindsay

Ultimately Matt and Rachael’s relationship did not survive the controversy, and the former Bachelor admitted he ended the relationship after the photos surfaced.

‘You wanna believe that you know your person better than anybody else knows your person. This controversy swirling around who Rachael is and events she might’ve attended, pictures that she liked and people that she’s associated with,’ he said on After The Final Rose.

‘I’m trying to be there for her, and I dismissed them as rumors, because that’s what they were to me. You hear things that are heartbreaking and you just pray they’re not true. And then, when you find out that they are it just makes you question everything,’ he added.

Discussing the ‘weight’ of seeing Rachael for the first time at the special, he told Good Morning America: ‘It hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt the weight of everything that I was carrying throughout the season and with what we were dealing with as a country and having to explain that – why I think it’s problematic to me and our relationship – which was extremely difficult.’

Not meant to be: Ultimately Matt and Rachael’s relationship did not survive the controversy, and the former Bachelor admitted he ended the relationship after the photos surfaced