Matt James Says He Didn’t Have Sex in the Fantasy Suites, Gives Update on Rachael Romance and More

Credit: ABC/Billy Kidd

Matt James Says He Didn’t Have Sex in the Fantasy Suites, Gives Update on Rachael Romance and More

More to say. Matt James' season of The Bachelor ended almost two months ago, but the former NFL player, 29, still has a lot on his mind. Following the news that he and Rachael Kirkconnell are trying to work out their relationship, the North Carolina native shared tons of behind-the-scenes secrets in a new profile for WSJ. Magazine and explained why he decided to give his ex another chance. “I think the best way to put it is that we can have critical conversations about being in this relationship and what I need in a partner — especially if that woman isn’t Black — to understand what comes with me and my life and being Black,” he said in the interview, published on Wednesday, May 5. “It’s on people who care about being allies to do the work to be truly antiracist. And I think it’s unfair to leave people without the ability to unlearn and be better.” In the season 25 finale, Matt and Rachael did not get engaged but decided to keep dating and see where their relationship took them. During After the Final Rose, though, Matt revealed that the couple had split after filming because of the Georgia native's past racially insensitive actions, like attending an Old South–themed party at a plantation in 2018. "If you don’t understand that something like that is problematic in 2018, there’s a lot of me that you won’t understand," he told guest host Emmanuel Acho during ATFR. "It’s as simple as that.” [jwplayer 3ztkBcV4] The controversy affected other members of Bachelor Nation as well. After longtime host Chris Harrison seemed to defend Rachael during an interview with former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay, he temporarily stepped down from his hosting duties. Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams will step in for him during season 17 of The Bachelorette, premiering June 7. Though some viewers thought Matt's personality was dull, he told WSJ. that he kept much of himself closed off during filming, especially regarding his past. “What was most important to me was that people [on the show] understood where I came from and who I was so that they could make an informed decision for themselves — if they wanted to be with someone like me, who had this quote-unquote baggage, because that’s what I saw it as initially,” he explained. “It wasn’t until I became more comfortable with who I was as a man, as a Black man, as a brother and a son, that it just became more of my story.” He also claimed that he did have deeper conversations with the women that ended up on the cutting room floor. “Ultimately The Bachelor’s about more than myself,” he said. “It’s about all the women who were there and their journeys. There’s a lot of things that didn’t make air that you’ve just got to hope that [the editors] knew a lot better than I do." Keep scrolling to read more revelations from Matt's interview: [podcast_block]

Credit: ABC/Billy Kidd

He Kept the Fantasy Suites PG

The ABC Food Tours founder claimed that he did not have sex with any of the three finalists — Rachael, Bri Springs and Michelle Young — in the show's infamous fantasy suites and instead spent the time just getting to know them better.

“I can’t speak for anybody but myself, but I think the women appreciated it,” he shared. “Because I did learn things about them that I hadn’t gathered — that I don’t think I would have learned if I hadn’t used that time to really dive deeper into something that they might not have been comfortable talking about on camera.”

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

The Reconciliation Is Real

Rachael, for her part, confirmed to the magazine via email that she and Matt are indeed back together after their many ups and downs. She noted that it was "helpful to have privacy" now that the cameras are off and they can focus on their relationship without producers watching.

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Tyler Didn't Watch the Whole Season

Unlike many Bachelors, Matt wasn't a former contestant from the franchise and was known only to fans as the best friend of Tyler Cameron, the runner-up on Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette. Tyler, 28, said he was disappointed by the amount of screen time his friend when the show was purportedly about his search for love, so he stopped watching after three episodes.

“I wanted to see more Matt,” he explained. “That’s why I didn’t watch as much as I wanted to. The Bachelor should be about the lead. I want people to see Matt’s story and then Matt’s fun side, goofy side, the side that we all love. I think the best part of Matt was what we saw in the bloopers."

Credit: YouTube

He Reconnected With His Dad

Matt has a complicated relationship with his father, so their onscreen reunion was both controversial and difficult for many viewers to watch. The reality star, however, thinks the show helped kick off a new era for his family, and said "there were a lot of things to celebrate" even amid all the controversy.

“The conversations I had with my mom, my brother and my dad weren’t in vain,” he told WSJ. “After the show, I reached out to my Pops, and we talk on a regular basis now. He’s taken steps to make amends with the rest of the family and be a better dad to his kids.”

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

He Thinks the Franchise Has a Future

Between the Rachael controversy, Clare Crawley's shortened season and other behind-the-scenes issues, some fans and viewers have speculated that the show isn't long for this world. But Matt, even as a major player in the recent drama, doesn't agree — so long as a few changes are made.  

“If you have different people of color all across the board, it’s going to help you tell a story that’s more representative,” he said, adding that he thinks the franchise will last "long after" he's gone. “If someone has never … been with someone who doesn’t look like them, they’re going to have a hard time.”