Matt James' Statement About Future Dating Leaves Fans Stunned

There's some bad news for those hoping that The Bachelor star Matt James would now be on the market. After giving Rachael Kirkconnell the final rose during the show's finale, the two continued dating off-screen. However, trouble began to brew in their relationship after photos showed Rachael partying at a plantation-themed sorority event in 2018. 

The racism scandal tainted their relationship and Matt broke things off. During The Bachelor: After the Final Rose, Rachael realized that Matt had been profoundly affected by the racism allegations. "So for him to end things, like, he must have been very, very hurt by everything," she stated (via Us Weekly).

It also seemed as if there was no chance that the couple would reconcile. The 24-year-old Rachael took to Instagram following the After The Final Rose episode and lamented, "I truly believe he was the love of my life." But Matt was having none of it; the Bachelor made an appearance on Good Morning America and made his feelings clear. "I think there's a lot of work that needs to be done before I can think about being in a relationship with anybody," he told the show. 

However, Matt recently made a shocking statement about his future dating plans.

The Bachelor Matt James made his dating intentions clear during an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast. After breaking up with Rachael Kirkconnell, he has made a firm resolution and it seems as if he intends to keep it. "I'm working on myself. I'm not going to be dating," the star declared (via Page Six). Matt also revealed his plans for the immediate future, and perhaps regrettably, it seems as if relationships are the furthest thing from his mind. "I'm just solely focused on getting back into that meaningful work in the community and centering myself around projects that are going to elevate all the work that I've been working on doing in the city and special interest things that I appreciate outside of reality television," the Bachelor stated.

What is it that Matt does for a living? The drop-dead gorgeous ex-football player founded ABC Food Tours, which seeks "to empower students by providing experiences across diverse cultures and career opportunities through food/fitness, education, and skills-based training." No wonder Rachael wasn't the only woman to fall for big-hearted Matt — and, with time, she hopefully won't be the last!