Rachael Kirkconnell’s Sister Gives Insight into Timeline of Her Split with Former 'Bachelor' Matt James tram

Rachael Kirkconnell’s sister is sharing some insight into the Bachelor contestant’s recent breakup from Matt James.

Matt, 33, announced the couple’s split in a post on his Instagram on Thursday, Jan. 16. 

“Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts,” he wrote, adding, “Give us a peace about this decision to end our relationship that transcends worldly understanding. Shower our friends and family with kindness and love to comfort us. And remind us that our Joy comes from you, Lord 💔.”

Matt's words were paired with a photo of himself and Rachael, 28, from their season of The Bachelor.

That same day, internet sleuth and Bachelor super fan Gabby White took to TikTok to voice a number of questions about Matt's message to fans.

In her video, Gabby specifically wondered about the timing of the announcement, particularly why Matt shared loving clips of himself with Rachael from a London vacation a mere day before the breakup announcement.

Gabby posited a theory that the London trip was perhaps sponsored — meaning that Matt was contractually obligated to post the footage. However, Rachael’s younger sister Trinity Kirkconnell chimed into Gabby’s comments to shed some light on the timeline.

“Yea so they were still together when he was posting all that… just to give you some perspective on the timeline of things,” Trinity wrote.

While Rachael has yet to comment publicly about the split, she has liked several comments on her most recent Instagram post from Dec. 5 — including one that said, “I’m so sorry,” and another from a fan who theorized that she was “completely blindsided” by the breakup.

Rachael and Matt were introduced to the world in 2021 on season 25 of The Bachelor. 

In February 2024, Matt told PEOPLE that he and Rachael were in sync with their plans to eventually marry.

“We wouldn't be together if that wasn't the same goal,” he said at the time. “I'm definitely excited for what the future looks like with us."

He also noted that when it came time to propose, it would "be something special because Rachael's very special."