Bachelor bombshell: Did Matt James give Rachael Kirkconnell a key to his heart and home?

New York, New York – The dramatic finale of Matt James' season of The Bachelor ended with a breakup before the After The Final Rose episode even aired. But a spark might've been reignited between Matt and Rachael Kirkconnell, the season's winner, after she was caught leaving his bougie Manhattan pad.

Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell were spotted together in New York City, starting rumors that the two might be working on things.
Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell were spotted together in New York City, starting rumors that the two might be working on things.  © Screenshot / Instagram / mattjames919 / rachaelkirkconnell

Things might not be over just yet between Rachael (24) and Matt (29).

On Thursday, Page Six reported that the Georgia native was spotted entering Matt's condo on the Lower East Side of Manhattan with a key of her own.

It is possible that the two simply reconnected and are enjoying each other's company as friends, but a source told Us Weekly that Rachael is still vying for his heart, saying, "Her feelings for him never went away. She still loves him".

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As for Matt, the source noted that he still has his hesitations about getting back together with the dark horse-turned-front runner of his season.

"It seems like he just wants to be friends, but she wants to be in a serious relationship with him," the source added.

History never truly fades

Rachael Kirkconnell was one of the most controversial contestants on The Bachelor.
Rachael Kirkconnell was one of the most controversial contestants on The Bachelor.  © Screenshot/ Instagram/ rachaelkirkconnell

When photos leaked of Rachael attending a plantation-themed party in 2018, things got rocky behind-the-scenes. The show had already finished filming when the news broke, leading to the saddening news that the couple had called it quits in between the finale and After The Final Rose.

The sit-in host for the special, Emmanuel Acho, grilled Rachael with hard-hitting questions about her racially insensitive actions, which the 24-year-old continued to apologize for. She promised to put the work in to better understand her shortcomings as a white woman in America.

Matt shared his strong feelings against Rachael and her inability to fully grasp the harm of her past actions.

During the After The Finale Rose special, he told Acho, "As someone who grew up in the South, it takes me to a place that I don’t often like to think about. I wasn’t OK. It was in that moment and the conversation that I had, that Rachael might not understand what it means to be Black in America."

Time will tell if the former love birds decide to make things official yet again.

Cover photo: Screenshot / Instagram / mattjames919 / rachaelkirkconnell

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