During the preview for The Bachelor finale, viewers saw Matt James having a heated discussion with his father, Manny James.
Matt had revealed earlier in the season that his father left him and his mother and has essentially been an absent father. Additionally, he has revealed that his father wasn’t faithful.
During the Women Tell All special, Matt told Chris Harrison that his parents’ relationship has made him cautious when it comes to falling in love and that he doesn’t want to make the same mistakes as his father did.
“There’s still a lot of fear based on what I’ve seen in my family in the past,” he said. “I don’t want to make the same mistakes that caused my family to be torn apart.”
Matt is of mixed race since his father, Manny is Black and his mother, Patty Cuculo James, is white. He has expressed on the show that he struggled with his identity growing up as kid of mixed race in North Carolina.
While viewers are aware of the impact that Manny has had on his son, many are wondering who Manny is as an individual.
Who is Manny James?
Manny James was married to Patty and the two had two children together, Matt and his older brother, John.
The 57-year-old left their lives when Matt was a young boy and reportedly didn’t look back. However, he appears to still be residing in Raleigh, North Carolina where Matt grew up.
Matt revealed in an interview on The Tamron Hall Show that the way his father treated his mother and his alleged infidelity had a lasting impact on their relationship. He revealed that his family seemed to look down on Manny as well.
“A lot of that stems from my dad and my mom’s relationship,” Matt claimed. “I saw what infidelity looked like at a young age. I saw family members that were against the relationship and doubling down on it after seeing the infidelity between my dad and my mom.”
Additionally, Matt made a Father’s Day post dedicated to his mom in June 2020. It’s clear that the two aren’t on good terms which makes his appearance on The Bachelor very intriguing.
What happens when Manny James appears on The Bachelor?
The preview for the upcoming Bachelor finale shows Matt and Manny having a heated conversation.
“When I needed you, you weren’t there,” Matt told his father.
Manny then retorted, “Do you know what I went through with your mom?”
When Matt claimed he didn’t want to make excuses, his dad snapped back, “Nobody’s perfect.”
The conversation appears to be very hostile but it’s not known whether the conversation ends in reconciliation, mutual disagreement or hostility.
Reality Steve also expressed that this encounter had a big impact on Matt while filming and likely explains his emotional nature during the finale and the tumultuous events that occur.
Viewers will have to wait to watch the conversation on the Bachelor finale.
The Bachelor airs on Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.