The Bachelor star Rachael Kirkconnell thought she was going on the show to find love with Matt James.
However, as the show was airing, old photos of Rachael surfaced, showing her at a Southern Belle party in 2018.
At the time the photos surfaced, filming had already wrapped and Matt had already picked her during the final episode.
Now that the show has come to an end, Rachael returned to social media, revealing she’s continuing to work on herself.
Rachael Kirkconnell gets support after sharing her self-reflection journey
The focus seemed to switch from Rachael to Chris Harrison after he seemingly defended her photos, telling Rachel Lindsay that it wasn’t anyone’s position to judge the photos or her.
But now, Rachael is shifting the narrative, revealing that she is continuing to work on herself and learn from everything.
“Take time for self-reflection. learn, grow, and be kind to yourself through it all,” Rachael shared on Instagram, asking everyone to take some time to learn and self-reflect.
Surprisingly, she received a lot of support from Bachelor Nation fans.
“Welcome to your TED TALK,” one person commented on her photo, while another added, “So proud of you gorg.”
Other comments included, “Proud of who you are Rach. I love u,” “We are so proud of you, Rachael,” “Needed to hear this. I’m working on this same thing right now,” and “You deserve the world. Don’t let anyone tell you different girl!”
It’s clear that Rachael’s followers are there for her to lift her up after recent events.
After the finale last night, Rachael posted another photo and a long statement, revealing her life had been thrown onto a new path after her split from Matt.
“It’s unpredictable, unexplainable, and things might not go the way you hoped for. While I certainly wish things turned out differently, I also believe there is a reason for everything,” she wrote. “We may not be able to control situations thrown our way, but we can control how we deal with it, and I believe good can come out [of] every circumstance.”
Rachael Kirkconnell’s old photos from 2018 changed Bachelor Nation
While supporters are there for Rachael now, it’s clear that her old photos rattled Bachelor Nation. After the photos surfaced, Rachael didn’t speak out at first. Chris decided to speak out instead, questioning whether anyone could really judge her.
But Rachael did issue a statement after a few days. Rachael spoke out in February, revealing that she wanted people to stop defending her because what she did was wrong. She pledged to work on herself and educate herself. She continued to address the photos during last night’s After The Final Rose special.
Her mother defended Rachael, saying that her daughter was devastated after the whole thing, especially after rumors that Matt had ended their relationship right after Valentine’s Day.
The whole scandal has resulted in Chris Harrison stepping back from the franchise. Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams are taking over hosting duties for the upcoming Bachelorette season featuring Katie Thurston.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.