Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell’s Quotes About Engagement, Marriage Before Their Split

Matt James and Rachael Kirkconnell‘s split comes as a surprise after the couple hinted at a potential engagement — and marriage plans — for years.

James broke the news on Thursday, January 16, that he and Kirkconnell parted ways, writing via Instagram, “Father God, give Rachael and I strength to mend our broken hearts,” he captioned the Thursday Instagram upload. “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 💔.”

However, just weeks prior, Kirkconnell had a cheeky response after multiple people asked on social media when she was getting engaged to James.

“When will u propose to him??” read a comment, to which she replied, “Next thursday!” Another recent post by Kirkconnell was flooded with responses about how Bachelor fans thought James had proposed. She wrote back at the time, “🤣🤭🤭.”

James and Kirkconnell found love on season 25 of The Bachelor but it wasn’t smooth sailing in the beginning. After meeting on the ABC show in 2021, Kirkconnell made headlines when photos resurfaced of her attending an “Old South”-themed frat party in 2018.

“While there have been rumors circulating, there have also been truths that have come to light that I need to address. I hear you, and I’m here to say I was wrong,” she wrote via Instagram in February 2021. “At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them. My age or when it happened does not excuse anything. They are not acceptable or OK in any sense. I was ignorant, but my ignorance was racist.”

Kirkconnell apologized amid widespread backlash but she and James ultimately had called it quits. They reconciled and Kirkconnell later opened up about how their romance improved after their brief split.

“We’re in a great place,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2021. “We just needed to take that time away from everyone and really figure everything out, and I think that we were just so sick of the outside noise and we were like, ‘You know what? We need to just put all of that aside and really focus on our relationship and how we feel about each other and nothing else.’ It’s been so incredible.”

After they got back together, they fielded endless questions about a potential proposal, with the twosome seemingly on the same page that they would walk down the aisle one day.

“I’ve been hinting at marriage for a very long time,” he joked on the “De-Influenced” episode in October 2024. “I don’t think Rachael is taking my hints seriously. I’m obviously a couple years older than you and women tend to outlive the men because, I don’t know, but that’s typically how it goes. I fully embrace being a stay-at-home dad. I will stay home and take care of the kids, so I’m gonna empower you … [to] start your own brand.”

During the joint podcast appearance, Kirkconnell made it clear that she was ready to start a family with James, saying, “I love the idea of getting married and having that commitment to one another, and kids and family really excite me. But, the idea of planning a wedding really puts me off. Like sometimes I’m just, like, ‘Let’s just elope.’”

Keep scrolling for James and Kirkconnell’s frequent comments that an engagement was in the works before their shocking split:

On Their Own Timeline

“I think we honestly enjoy just taking it one day at a time,” Kirkconnell told Us in September 2021. “Of course we talk about the future often, but I think the best thing for us right now is not putting any pressure on the relationship because that’s what everyone else does to us every single day and we get that question every single day.”

She continued, “It’s like ‘When are you guys getting engaged? Are you guys engaged yet?’ And, of course, we talk about it, but it’s just been nice to not have that pressure for the last few months because that’s all our relationship was in the beginning.”

Committed to a Future Together

“I wouldn’t be with someone that I wasn’t considering marrying, especially at this point in my life,” he explained on Us‘ “Here for the Right Reasons” podcast in 2022. “We’ve talked about living in the same city and what those next steps look like. Everything’s on the table.”

Big Plans

“It’s about doing whatever you’re doing at your own pace, whether that’s the relationship, your job, exercise,” James told People in February 2024. “If you do things that other people want you to do and you don’t consider y’all’s feelings, then I think that is a recipe for disaster.”

James assured Kirkconnell he saw an engagement in their future, adding, “We wouldn’t be together if that wasn’t the same goal. I’m definitely excited for what the future looks like with us. It is going to be something special because Rachael’s very special.”

Making a Promise

After James posted a video on Instagram in May 2024, one fan commented, writing, “Marry this girl already… she’s perfect 🥰.” James had a cheeky response, writing, “Planning on it 😁.”

No Pressure

James told Us in June 2024 that he and Kirkconnell weren’t succumbing to external pressures.

“We’re doing great. I feel like when you feel pressure, it’s when you don’t wanna do something,” he explained. “So I’ve never really felt pressure [to get engaged] because it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. It’s something that we’re gonna do at some point. That’s why we’re together and what we’re working toward. I’m excited about our future.”

At the time, James hinted at his creative plans for a proposal.

“She asks a million questions. …, ‘Why are you asking me to get my nails done? Why are we doing this?’ She’s just so intuitive that it’s gonna be tricky,” he said. “It’s gonna be tough because she needs a reason why we do anything — and not a crazy reason, [but] just to know why. She never does something just to do it. So when that happens, I’ll have to think outside the box. I’ll have to stretch the truth on why we’re doing something.”

Next Step

“I think that’s the next step,” James said on “De-Influenced with Dani + Jordan” podcast about a future engagement. “Having had so many of Rachael’s friends go through engagements, I wouldn’t dare go look at a ring without consulting Rachael first.”

Kirkconnell, meanwhile, quipped that deciding on the diamond is a priority before James pops the question.

“I have the finger ready,” she joked. “I feel that’s definitely something we want. I’m on his time. My problem is I definitely need to go find a ring I like and everything, but that’s on him at that point. … That’s a problem, I don’t even know what I want.”