Rachael Kirkconnell breaks silence on Matt James split, reveals shock over breakup announcement

Rachael Kirkconnell has spoken publicly for the first time about her breakup with Matt James, nearly two weeks after he announced their split via Instagram. During an appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Kirkconnell revealed that she first learned about the breakup while on a flight, leaving her unable to respond for several hours.

"Literally the plane is taking off and I see his post, and that’s it," Kirkconnell told host Alex Cooper. "I don’t have any service or anything for the next 12 hours, so I’m freaking out because, you know, just got broken up with, and now, a few hours later, it’s for the whole world to see and I’m still trying to process it."

She admitted to being in "total shock" and stated that she had yet to make a public statement because she was still processing the situation. Kirkconnell also shared that prior to the breakup, she believed she and James were aligned in their relationship. She mentioned that they had discussed engagement, with James encouraging her to begin considering ring options.

Her podcast appearance coincided with her first public sighting since the split, as TMZ released footage of her speaking at LAX. When asked about the breakup, Kirkconnell said she was "hanging in there" and that she would address the situation further when ready. She denied any infidelity was involved and confirmed that reconciliation was not an option.

"Things will start to come out and I'll speak about it whenever I'm ready, but for now, I'm just protecting my peace," she stated, before affirming that there was "no" chance of getting back together with James.