The show, which was hosted by Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man author Emmanuel Acho, uncovered a lot about Matt James’ relationships with the final women, including how he interacted with them—or didn’t—after filming wrapped. And there was a lot to unpack. Here are the biggest revelations and bombshells from The Bachelor 2021’s After the Final Rose special.
Emmanuel Acho completely nailed it
Twitter is filled with accolades for him, with many people pointing out that he’s not afraid to ask hard questions—and wait for the answers. Case in point: After an incredibly long, awkward silence, Emmanuel prompted Matt with, “What’s on your mind? It’s best to just be honest.” He also hilariously said that he would give time, “if you want to share one final embrace” when things were clearly frigid between Matt and his ex, Rachael Kirkconnell. Spoiler alert: There was no embrace.
Matt wouldn’t talk to Michelle after their breakup
Last we saw of Michelle Young before ATFR, she was crying on the floor of her hotel room. Michelle told Emmanuel that she was “not OK” after the breakup, and that she tried to reach out to Matt for closure. Michelle said she made it clear at the time that she didn’t want to try to change Matt’s mind, but that she wanted to know what happened. Michelle described having producers in her hotel room, witnessing her not being OK, and still being told that Matt wouldn’t speak to her.
Michelle hilariously slammed Matt
Michelle made it clear that she wasn’t impressed with how she was treated by Matt after their breakup, and that she was also over him. So, she left him with these parting thoughts: “I hope you move forward with kissing with your eyes closed and I hope you learn more phrases than just ‘Thanks for sharing,’” she says.
Rachael didn’t understand at first why people were so upset with her racially insensitive photos
Final rose recipient Rachael came under intense scrutiny after photos surfaced of herself at an Antebellum-themed party in 2018, along with other racially insensitive social media activity. During a one-on-one chat with Emmanuel, Matt suggested that Rachael had trouble wrapping her head around the controversy at first. “If you don’t understand that something like that is problematic in 2018, there’s a lot of me that you won’t understand. It’s as simple as that," Matt said. Matt later told Rachael that “the most difficult thing was having to explain to you why it was problematic and why I was so upset. It broke my heart. I didn’t sign up to have this conversation.”
Matt hit back at allegations that he used the photos as an excuse to break up
When pressed by Emmanuel about the reason for his breakup, and why Matt didn’t stick with Rachael through the controversy, Matt asked people to change their way of thinking. “I would ask those same people so triggered to bring that same energy to supporting folks of color who are asking for change,” he said. “A lot of those conversations being had are outside people of color.” Matt also said that “you can still really care about somebody and want them to do better.” He added, “There’s a lot of processing I have to do and it’s just not a situation that I think I would help.”
Rachael was shown the Antebellum photo during the episode
Emmanuel asked Rachael what she saw when she looked at the photo, and she replied with this: “I see someone who was living in ignorance without even thinking about who it would be hurting. Knowing I never once asked myself at any point, ‘What’s the tradition behind this? What does this represent?’” Rachael said that she didn’t want to say that she didn’t know any better “because I could have easily asked myself those questions. I never took the time to make that connection.”
Matt broke up with Rachael over the phone
Rachael said that she was “very confused, very blindsided” when Matt “called to end things.” But, she said, she later realized how hard the experience must have been for him. “I thought about how strong I thought our relationship was,” she said. “For him to end things, he must have been very, very hurt by everything.” Rachael also said, “I love him so much and I always will.”
Things were frosty between Matt and Rachael in person
Rachael and Matt finally spoke in person and, after Rachael apologized to Matt, he took a long time to respond. “It’s heartbreaking and devastating,” he said. “It’s disappointing.” Matt also made it clear that he wouldn’t get back together with Rachael, saying that she needed to put in work to understand why her past actions were so upsetting. “That’s something you’ve got to do on your own and that’s why we can’t be in a relationship,” he said.
Michelle and Katie Thurston are the new Bachelorettes
For the first time ever, the franchise is filming two seasons of The Bachelorette back to back. Katie Thurston, who said she’s “ready to find love,” will go first, followed by Michelle, who said she’s also ready to find her other half. Next, find out what Chris Harrison’s net worth is.
