Rachael Kirkconnell is currently on The Bachelor with Matt James.
While she hasn’t gotten much airtime, many fan accounts and Bachelor blogger Reality Steve are all revealing that Rachael is the winner of this season.
But now, she’s facing a scandal, as old photos have surfaced.
This weekend, photos of Rachael surfaced at an antebellum plantation-themed fraternity formal.
The photos were from 2018.
Rachael Kirkconnell was spotted in controversial photos
Reality Steve shared a tweet about the photos, revealing that her behavior is unacceptable and wildly ignorant.
He also revealed he would be going live, where he would dissect “all of Rachael’s problematic social media behavior that has come to light.”
Rachel Lindsay, a former Bachelorette, replied to the photos on social media with a simple scribble emoji, whereas a Bachelor fan account questioned why ABC wasn’t doing more to ensure that their contestants don’t have troublesome pasts.
Reality Steve later revealed that he would hold off on the statement, because he learned that Rachael would be releasing one. At the time of this reporting, Rachael has not released a statement about her behavior.
A Bachelor fan account added that this information just ruined the entire season, especially since Matt is reported to pick Rachael at the end.
Rachael Kirkconnell’s cousin speaks out
While Rachael has yet to release a statement, her cousin supposedly spoke to The Sun about the incident. The cousin, Anastasia, revealed that the photos are authentic, and admitted it’s “not a positive look.”
The cousin added that the party is “really an excuse for girls to put on pretty dresses and everyone get drunk in college, but this is the nail in the coffin.” As Reality Steve added in his response, it’s ignorant of her to ignore the meaning of the party itself.
“This party is not racially motivated but the core of the formal is what’s wrong and undeniable,” the cousin added. “[Rachael] did not have racist intent but she really messed up on this one. I don’t believe she is racist even after this coming to light. But I think it’s going to be harder to defend this one.”
This isn’t the first time that Rachael has made headlines with claims that she is being racist.
Back in January, Rachael’s mother spoke out, defending her daughter against racist allegations. Apparently, she was facing allegations of saying that she would never date a Black man, which is odd considering her role on The Bachelor with Matt James.
Rachael is rumored to be the winner of The Bachelor, but Matt supposedly didn’t propose to her.
Right now, we don’t know his reaction to this scandal.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.