Inside Bachelor Matt James’ Close Bond With His Mother: What We Know About His Family

Credit: Courtesy of Matt James/Instagram

Inside Bachelor Matt James' Close Bond With His Mother: What We Know About His Family

The future Mrs. James, take notes! ABC named Matt James the season 25 Bachelor in June 2020. He was initially set to compete on season 16 of The Bachelorette after his BFF and Bachelorette season 15 runner-up Tyler Cameron’s mother nominated him. Production was subsequently suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the network opted to take Matt out of the running for Clare Crawley’s heart and make him the lead. Matt grew up with his mother, Patty James, and older brother, John, in North Carolina. After his parents split when he was little, his father was “absent” from their lives, per a 2019 Wake Forest Magazine article. "He was always drawn to families where the mom and dad were together," Patty told ABC’s New York affiliate in June 2019 while chatting about her son's ABC Food Tours charity. "I am so proud of him. He overcame everything and he wants to be a role model for these kids." Matt made it clear where he stands with his dad in 2020 by shouting out single mothers on Father’s Day via Instagram. [jwplayer agZ1PQ1W-l3ahXupL] “Happy Fathers Day Mom 🐼,” Matt wrote alongside a photo with Patty in June 2020, including a Bible verse that reads, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Why did Colton Underwood have to stay 100 yards away from Cassie Randolph? Hear the alleged crazy texts he sent her that earned him a restraining order. In under 2 minutes! Matt, who made history as the first Black Bachelor, is biracial. “I’ve heard from a lot of my Black friends that aren't Bachelor Nation faithful, that are excited about me and are honored I'm in the position I'm in and have this opportunity to just represent what it's going to look like to have diverse relationships and tell those love stories,” he told Chris Harrison during a June 2020 interview. "I couldn't be more excited about that.” A source close to Matt told Us Weekly that the Wake Forest graduate “has a good family and he's very loyal” to his relatives. “He cares very much about his physical and mental health. He's a spiritual person. He's not a womanizer by any sense of the word. He's an all-around, quality, genuine person. He is family-oriented,” the source explained, noting that he’s “definitely serious” about finding a fiancée on the series. “He's always been looking for that right woman; he just hasn't found one yet and I think this show is a great opportunity for him to do that." Matt also grew up very religious, which will be discussed during the season. “He's a Christian and I think that's something that's important to all Christians or people of faith,” the source said. “I think he's definitely focused on the traditional way of starting a family." The Bachelor airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. Scroll through for more about the James’ family:

Credit: Courtesy of Matt James/Instagram

Inside Bachelor Matt James' Close Bond With His Mother: What We Know About His Family

The future Mrs. James, take notes! ABC named Matt James the season 25 Bachelor in June 2020. He was initially set to compete on season 16 of The Bachelorette after his BFF and Bachelorette season 15 runner-up Tyler Cameron’s mother nominated him. Production was subsequently suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the network opted to take Matt out of the running for Clare Crawley’s heart and make him the lead. Matt grew up with his mother, Patty James, and older brother, John, in North Carolina. After his parents split when he was little, his father was “absent” from their lives, per a 2019 Wake Forest Magazine article. "He was always drawn to families where the mom and dad were together," Patty told ABC’s New York affiliate in June 2019 while chatting about her son's ABC Food Tours charity. "I am so proud of him. He overcame everything and he wants to be a role model for these kids." Matt made it clear where he stands with his dad in 2020 by shouting out single mothers on Father’s Day via Instagram. [jwplayer agZ1PQ1W-l3ahXupL] “Happy Fathers Day Mom 🐼,” Matt wrote alongside a photo with Patty in June 2020, including a Bible verse that reads, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” Why did Colton Underwood have to stay 100 yards away from Cassie Randolph? Hear the alleged crazy texts he sent her that earned him a restraining order. In under 2 minutes! Matt, who made history as the first Black Bachelor, is biracial. “I’ve heard from a lot of my Black friends that aren't Bachelor Nation faithful, that are excited about me and are honored I'm in the position I'm in and have this opportunity to just represent what it's going to look like to have diverse relationships and tell those love stories,” he told Chris Harrison during a June 2020 interview. "I couldn't be more excited about that.” A source close to Matt told Us Weekly that the Wake Forest graduate “has a good family and he's very loyal” to his relatives. “He cares very much about his physical and mental health. He's a spiritual person. He's not a womanizer by any sense of the word. He's an all-around, quality, genuine person. He is family-oriented,” the source explained, noting that he’s “definitely serious” about finding a fiancée on the series. “He's always been looking for that right woman; he just hasn't found one yet and I think this show is a great opportunity for him to do that." Matt also grew up very religious, which will be discussed during the season. “He's a Christian and I think that's something that's important to all Christians or people of faith,” the source said. “I think he's definitely focused on the traditional way of starting a family." The Bachelor airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. Scroll through for more about the James’ family:

Credit: Courtesy of Matt James/Instagram

His Brother

Patty shared a snap with her two sons in May 2016 via Instagram.

Credit: Courtesy of Matt James/Instagram

Patty’s Approval

According to a source, Matt is looking for a woman who “he can bring home to his mom.” The insider explained, “Someone who's intelligent, smart, big sense of humor. … Someone who cares about their physical well-being and their health. He's a man with very high standards."

Credit: Courtesy of Matt James/Instagram

Proud Mother

“Before he considers the difficulties and obstacles he just goes in and does it. I’ve just seen him overcome obstacle and hurdle after hurdle, just never giving up,” Patty told ABC’s New York affiliate in June 2019. "He brings people in and he is also listening; he doesn't just try to do it his way. He's open to constructive criticism, he's teachable, he's coachable, and I think all these things helped him when he started doing this. He doesn't do it alone.”

Credit: Courtesy of Matt James/Instagram

Growing Family

“I think that the grandkid counter for my mom started when that announcement was made,” Matt joked on a June episode of The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever. “She wants a basketball team! I’ll have a minivan, that’s the max.”

Credit: ABC/Billy Kidd

The Divorce

During a January appearance on The Tamron Hall Show, Matt admitted his past dating struggles stemmed from his parents’ divorce.

“I saw what infidelity looked like at a young age. I saw family members that were against the relationship and doubling down on it after seeing the infidelity between my dad and my mom,” he explained, noting he went into The Bachelor “not wanting to perpetuate that behavior.”

Credit: YouTube

Patty’s Appearance

It was revealed in a February promo for the series that Matt’s mother is set to join him in Nemacolin to meet his finalists. In the teaser, Patty warns him, “People fall in and out of love and love is not the end-all, be-all.”

Credit: Courtesy of The Quarantine Crew/Instagram

The Quarantine Crew

Matt isn’t just close to Tyler. He lived with the Florida native and his friends — including Tyler's Bachelorette ex Hannah Brown — for several months during the coronavirus pandemic. The season 15 Bachelorette also revealed in October 2020 that she was communicating with Matt’s mother and the show’s producers during filming.

"I actually sent him a journal,” Hannah said on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s “Off the Vine” podcast, noting she included a letter from Patty in the book. "I've never known somebody on the show beforehand like this and actually cared for his heart and want him to just be happy after this. There's a reason that we're both in each other's lives. … I wrote in the journal, ‘Just make sure she likes me and she's OK with me being your BFF.’”

Additional reporting by Diana Cooper