Rachael Kirkconnell may have been “blindsided” when Matt James broke up with her, but a source exclusively tells Life & Style that her friends weren’t – and they even saw the former Bachelor’s “red flags.

It's over for Matt James of "The Bachelor" and Season 25 winner Rachael Kirkconnell, according to the reality TV star himself. James, who starred in the 2021 season of the ABC dating competition, announced Thursday on Instagram that he and Kirkconnell had split up after four years together.

James chose Rachael as his Bachelor winner during season 25, which aired in early 2021. However, by the After the Final Rose special in March of that year, James said they had broken up after Rachael’s past racially insensitive social media activity resurfaced. The couple reconciled a month later.