The Bachelor’s Rachael Kirkconnell accused of racist past on TikTok

Matt James’ stint on The Bachelor just kicked off this week, and there seems to be some controversy already brewing. As expected, audiences want to know who these contestants vying for Matt’s heart really are. In the case of one predicted fan-favorite, people are not exactly comfortable with what they just discovered.

All over social media, people claiming to be from various

contestants

‘ pasts are popping up, spilling tea, and filling in Bachelor Nation on what they allegedly know about the latest round of

Bachelor

competitors. Currently, fans are calling out season 25 contestant

Rachael Kirkconnell

for alleged racist behavior in her past, reports

Screen Rant

. And it’s starting to get ugly.

After the season premiere, one TikTok user named Maddy posted a clip of

Matt James

and the 24-year-old contestant together, writing, “Remember when you bullied me in high school for liking black guys???” Needless to say, that claim didn’t sit well with the masses, despite it not being confirmed.

As Screen Rant notes, many took to Reddit to respond to the TikTok, also noting the circulating rumors that Rachael might actually make it incredibly far on Matt’s season.

On Reddit, the concern continues to grow about Rachael’s motives, but many aren’t placing the blame entirely on the self-proclaimed “southern sweetheart.” One person wrote, “It’s on Matt for taking this woman so far,” and many seemingly agreed with that point. Others say they knew something was “off” about Rachael from the premiere.

Continuing to call her out, someone replied with, “Isn’t this the girl who was spouting that ‘I acknowledge all colors, love is love’ BS in the season preview??? I knew that didn’t sit right with me for a reason!” The majority of those concerned are also saying Rachael Kirkconnell should be held accountable for her alleged behavior, even if it was from the past.

Reality Steve shared the TikTok to social media and weighed in. On Twitter, the Bachelor blogger responded to the initial claim about Rachael, writing, “Think it’s all fun and games and IG shilling being a contestant on this show? Not necessarily when anyone from your past can throw out accusations and you won’t be able to defend yourself for a while.”

In a recent blog post, Steve elaborated on his point, saying:

"I’m not saying Maddy is lying. I’m also not saying Rachael did this. The only people that know are the ones involved. This is the dilemma of just throwing out accusations on the internet. While it may be your reality and what you say happened to you, to try and get others to believe you you almost have to have some solid proof."

Eventually, we could very well get Rachael Kirkconnell’s side of the story with this one. Let’s hope for all involved that these unsettling rumors are just rumors in the end. As of right now, we shouldn’t place blame on her without getting any proof. The accusations are incredibly serious, but without confirmation we can’t be quick to take a stance.

Be sure to catch The Bachelor season 25 airing every Monday night on ABC.