Rachael Kirkconnell has nothing but good things to say about her ex Matt James, and she can’t understand the criticism some trolls are directing at him. James gave her the final rose on The Bachelor, but broke up with her after photos of her attending an antebellum plantation party emerged.
In the ensuing melee, host Chris Harrison stepped down and she apologized multiple times, and said she understand why James, who is the first Black Bachelor, couldn’t continue their relationship.
She addressed the critics online. “I am taken aback by what I’ve seen tonight. If you think that attacking a person I care about with racist insults is what I would ever want, you haven’t been listening,” the 24-year-old Georgia native wrote via Instagram Stories. “Some of the things I’ve seen being said to and about Matt are repulsive. I respect the decisions that Matt has had to make during this experience. If you are directing hate towards him, please stop. Recognize someone’s humanity and think about the impact your words have.”