[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
‐ Good evening, Bachelor Nation.
My name is Emmanuel Acho.
I'm sitting in for Chris Harrison tonight,
which already makes this
the most shocking "After the Final Rose" ever.
There's a lot to talk about,
especially after racially insensitive images
surfaced from Rachael Kirkconnell's past,
and we certainly have to address
Chris Harrison's defense of insensitivity
in his interview with Rachel Lindsay,
for which he has since apologized.
Now, some of these conversations here tonight
might make people a little uncomfortable,
and they won't be easy,
but my hope is that if we can talk openly and honestly,
we can take important steps
toward mutual understanding and healing.
But first, let's not forget what this show is about,
and that's love and romance.
This is "The Bachelor," after all,
where people put their emotions on their sleeves
and their hearts on the line.
Sometimes they fall in love.
Sometimes they even get married.
Now, everyone just watched as Rachael and Matt
rode off into the sunset together.
While Matt didn't propose,
they were clearly two people very much in love.
But what has happened since that last day?
Were they able to overcome
the controversy surrounding Rachael?
Has the outrage brought them closer together,
or has it torn them apart?
But before we can talk to our couple,
let's talk to a woman who did not find love with Matt
and left Pennsylvania heartbroken and in tears.
Michelle, come on out.
[dynamic music]
♪ ♪
‐ It's nice to meet you. Hi.
♪ ♪
‐ Breathe.
‐ Yes.
‐ Well, Michelle, we all watched
your heart break with Matt earlier tonight.
What's going through your head right now in this moment?
‐ I did not wanna be sitting here, um,
with the ending that I had,
but I'm ready to face it,
and I'm ready to have a conversation about it.
‐ So you were really ready to be engaged to Matt.
‐ After I saw how my family accepted him,
he was able to, like, slide right in,
that's the moment that I did think he was the one,
and by that time, I had kind of seen
the interactions that were happening,
and that was kind of the icing on the cake for me.
‐ Well, you were literally one day away
from possibly getting engaged
as you were rappelling down that building together...
‐ Yeah.
‐ But then it all seemed to go wrong.
‐ That was a conversation
that I did not see coming,
um, during that day, and...
it caught me very off guard, and so...
It really just felt like
one of those moments where all of your blood,
everything leaves your body,
and seeing it for the first time,
watching it back...
It's a lot.
‐ You asked Matt in that moment
if you should fight for him.
You feel like you got that closure
you needed that night?
‐ No. Um...
‐ Why not?
‐ Afterwards, I wasn't okay, and...
I needed to say my piece,
because I didn't get the chance to...
‐ Mm. ‐ And so I asked
if I could talk to Matt for two minutes,
and not to change his route,
to not get in the way of the relationship
that he was pursuing that was still there.
It was just for me to say my piece,
but he refused to have that conversation with me.
I think I deserved the two minutes
to get my closure and move on.
‐ It still hurts for you, doesn't it?
‐ Yeah. [laughs softly]
‐ You really were in love with him, weren't you?
‐ Yeah. I really was.
‐ Well, you're gonna see him, but first,
in the midst of grieving the loss
of a lover, if you will,
you also had to deal with the controversy
surrounding Rachael Kirkconnell
and the antebellum‐themed photos.
‐ Yeah.
‐ I know you have a lot of thoughts on that.
‐ As more and more information started to come out,
um, I started to feel hurt by what I was seeing.
‐ Mm. ‐ That was a prime example
of not understanding the history behind it,
not being educated enough on what that actually meant,
what her actions actually meant, how we see it.
I feel like Rachael has a good heart.
I do...
but I think there's a lot of learning.
It comes off very inconsiderate.
‐ Chris Harrison obviously attempted to go to her defense
in a conversation with Rachel Lindsay.
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ I'm sure you've seen that conversation.
‐ I have.
‐ What are your thoughts?
‐ It was another weight
that was added on
to the already really difficult feelings,
you know, all of these issues
that everyone's talking around and addressing
and apologizing and making statements
but not actually changing anything.
There is a point where you're just so exhausted.
‐ Well, we can't necessarily, um,
resolve all of that tonight,
but what we can resolve is, uh,
some of the grieving in regards to Matt,
as, like we know, he is here tonight,
and you're gonna see him
and hopefully get the questions that you have answered.
Are you ready to see him?
‐ Yes.
‐ Well, when we come back,
Michelle and Matt speak for the first time
since their devastating breakup,
and later, Rachael Kirkconnell will join me.
You do not wanna miss that.
It's all coming up
when "The Bachelor: After the Final Rose" returns.
♪ ♪
[somber music]
‐ Welcome back
to "The Bachelor: After the Final Rose."
I'm here with Michelle,
and earlier tonight, we witnessed
her heartbreaking goodbye with Matt.
Now, Michelle, Matt's about to come out here.
How are you feeling?
‐ I've been thinking about this for a while,
so I'm ready.
‐ Well, Matt, come on out.
♪ ♪
‐ Hi. ‐ Hi.
♪ ♪
‐ [sighs]
‐ Now, you all haven't seen each other
since the goodbye.
Michelle, I know you have a lot on your mind
to say to Matt, so go ahead.
‐ [sighs]
So how are you?
‐ Uh...
it's been a very rough past few months,
and, um...
I'm still processing everything and...
Really trying to figure out how I feel.
‐ It's okay. That's okay.
‐ How are you feeling?
‐ [sighs]
This is hard to sit here.
Um...
Watching that entire night
and everything that that was, I mean...
you said that you needed, to move forward,
to do this on your own or without me
or in the other relationship, and you left.
The moment you left...
I completely crumbled.
I had to walk away without closure,
and I had to fill in the gaps
of what our relationship really was, and...
I wasn't okay.
I wasn't okay at all.
And producers were in my room...
seeing how bad I was hurting...
[sniffs]
And I asked you for a conversation,
and it was not a conversation
where I was trying to change your trajectory
or trying to change your mind or fight for you.
It was a conversation
so that I could have my inner peace
when I left Pennsylvania,
and you said no.
‐ I just wanna start by saying I'm sorry
that you were going through that.
Um...
there's no justification
for why I didn't have that conversation,
and if I would have known
that this is how you were feeling in that moment,
then I would have fought to have that conversation.
Um...
just in terms of there being any doubt
in how I felt about you, what I can tell you
is that when you showed up when you did,
it was a breath of fresh air,
and I always tell people who ask that you weren't late.
You were right on time...
‐ Mm‐hmm. ‐ And...
I would just hope you would know
that I really did care about you...
‐ Mm‐hmm. ‐ And...
everything you had shared with me,
and seeing your heart, and, I mean,
the way that you carried yourself throughout the show
and the emotional labor you took on
and continue to take on
as just a Black woman in your position
and showing grace and composure through a lot of situations
where I probably would have snapped,
my respect and admiration for you
is just through the roof, and...
Again, if I could do it over again,
I would have had that conversation with you,
knowing how you feel,
and all I can say now is I'm sorry.
‐ I appreciate that.
‐ Michelle, if you...
if you remove the anger that you still had,
do you still love him?
‐ I...
care about you.
We went through a lot together.
We laughed a lot together,
and I'm a very forgiving person.
I mean, you and me talking about it right now,
it's‐‐I've honestly already put it down,
and I'm not in love like I was leaving the show,
but it does help hearing
that what you felt for me was real,
and what I was feeling, like, we were on the same page,
somewhat, up until that point, but I think that
was what I was really struggling with the most,
so I do appreciate that.
‐ Well, Michelle, you, um, you may never see Matt again,
so is there anything else you wanna say
or do you wanna get off your heart?
‐ You have taught me a lot about relationships
and what I'm looking for
and what I'm not looking for at times...
[both laughing]
But you will always hold a piece of my heart,
and I hope you find your happiness.
I hope you move on with kissing with your eyes closed,
and I hope you come up with more phrases
than just, "Thanks for sharing."
‐ [laughing]
‐ Oh, well, Michelle, Matt, thank y'all both.
I know that was not, uh, not easy,
but I'm glad y'all could share a laugh.
Michelle, I'm glad you could get
the closure that you needed,
and I wish you the best on your journey going forward.
‐ Thank you. ‐ Matt, you don't go anywhere.
Me and you still got a lot more to cover.
Coming up, Rachael Kirkconnell will join me.
What have the last couple of months been like for her,
and how has the controversy
affected her relationship with Matt?
This might just be the most uncomfortable conversation
in Bachelor history.
And later, we'll reveal our new Bachelorette
right here on this stage.
Could it be this woman sitting across from me?
You'll have to stick around to find out.
It's all coming up when "The Bachelor:
After the Final Rose" continues.
♪ ♪
[soft music]
‐ Welcome back, Bachelor Nation.
I'm Emmanuel Acho,
and I'm sitting in
for Chris Harrison tonight.
It's already been an uncomfortable night,
and I have a feeling it's about to get even more difficult.
Now, Matt, a conversation between two women
would be unique, based upon their experiences,
and a conversation between two athletes
would be unique, based upon their life shared experiences,
so a conversation between two Black men
will be unique, based on our life experiences.
So I wanna start there, my brother.
How much pressure was it
being the first Black Bachelor?
‐ It was a lot of pressure, and...
[clears throat]
As a Black person, there's a extra level of scrutiny
when you're the first of something,
and you wanna make sure
that you're on your best behavior
in terms of how you're speaking,
how you present yourself,
because, for a lot of people, that was the first time
having someone like myself in their home...
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ And a lot of what they take away from the show
and the way that I interact with the women
and carry myself, uh, like it or not,
is gonna be their perception of how Black people move.
‐ Was it too much pressure?
‐ Wouldn't say it's too much pressure.
I think that any other lead
would be asked one thing: to find love,
to find someone they're compatible with,
and I felt like the position that I stepped into
was to take on the weight
of everything that was going on in the country
at that stand‐‐ at that timeframe
regarding social justice,
everything going on within the franchise
surrounding diversity and inclusion, and...
That's the pressure that I felt,
and that's what I started to feel like
my presence represented.
‐ Let me ask you this.
How much of that was internal pressure?
Because so many people‐‐ I walk around realizing
I might be the only Black man
that this white person comes in contact with today.
So let me do my best job to adequately represent
Black men across the country.
‐ I think it's just what we're conditioned
to do as Black men,
making people comfortable with your Blackness
and going above and beyond
to show that...
in stature and in personality,
you're not as threatening as you come off as,
and those are the type of things
that I was thinking about.
‐ But does a part of you,
during the course of the show,
wish that you just didn't have to bear that...
that extra weight, if you will?
‐ I don't regret the experience at all,
because I was able to learn a lot about myself
through getting to meet so many wonderful women
who were there for‐‐for love,
and I'm just conditioned to feel like
sharing any type of emotion is‐‐is weakness,
and this experience really helped me unlearn that.
It was the first time I wasn't afraid to cry,
I wasn't afraid to show emotion,
and being able to tell somebody that you love 'em is‐‐
it was‐‐it was liberating.
‐ So what was it about Rachael
that had you falling in love with her?
Because early on, you told her first.
‐ I think it was her authenticity.
Um, how she was feeling
was on par with how I was feeling, in terms of...
this is something that, you know, I don't‐‐
I wasn't sure if this was something I would do,
but here I am.
Like, let's figure this thing out,
and the things that she shared with me,
uh, were qualities that I was looking for in a partner.
‐ After you finally realized that Rachael was your person,
how were things immediately after leaving Pennsylvania?
‐ It‐‐it felt like an extended honeymoon period,
and‐‐and it was‐‐ it was super.
It was‐‐it was great.
Uh, initially, it started out how you would imagine.
‐ But so many things then started to surface
on social media: pictures, etcetera.
Racially insensitive pictures.
Take me to the specific moment
when you first were made aware of these images.
‐ Right, so you wanna believe that...
You know your person better
than anybody else knows your person,
and while all this controversy's...
swirling around, who Rachael is and...
Things that she might have attended
and pictures that she liked
and people that she's associated with.
Before Rachael addressed anything
or Chris Harrison spoke on anything,
I'm trying to be there for her,
and I dismissed them as rumors,
because that's what they were to me.
You hear things that are heartbreaking...
And you just pray they're not true...
And then, when you find out that they are...
It just makes you question everything.
As someone who grew up in the South,
it takes me to a place
that I often try not to think about.
Events, people, places that I'm not welcome.
When she spoke out and publicly acknowledged
that she would do better and she apologized
is when I was finally able to take‐‐check on myself
and see where I was at, and...
I wasn't okay, because it...
It was in that moment
and the conversation that I had that...
Rachael might not understand
what it means to be Black in America.
‐ Where do things stand now between you and Rachael?
‐ As Rachael acknowledged in her apology,
there's a lot of work that needs to be done.
I have to take a step back
and allow her to put in that work...
And I'm looking forward to seeing her put in that work.
‐ So you all are no longer together?
‐ We're not.
‐ Sorry to hear that.
Um...
what was that breakup conversation like?
‐ It was...
As tough as you can imagine...
And it's‐‐it's heartbreaking.
If you don't understand
that something like that is problematic in 2018,
there's a lot of me that you won't understand,
and it's‐‐it's as‐‐ it's‐‐it's as‐‐it's‐‐
It's as simple as that.
‐ What would you say to people who imply,
if you broke up with her over an action
from three years ago
that wasn't intended to be malicious,
then you, Matt James, never really loved Rachael?
‐ You know what was a long time ago?
‐ What's that?
‐ Plantations,
and so I would ask those same people
who are so triggered
to bring that same energy
to supporting folks of color who are asking for change,
because a lot of those conversations
that are being had are outside of people of color
and people who have never been
the only person who looks like them in a room
and someone who's never been discriminated against.
‐ So then let me ask you this.
Don't you believe she's a different person now?
Couldn't you teach her? Couldn't you grow with her?
If you were judged based off something of three years ago,
if I was judged based off something of three years ago,
I think that could, to a degree, be callous,
if we were committed, by steps, by actions,
mentally, spiritually, emotionally, to growth.
So...
Can you still, in 2021, condemn her
for the actions of 2018
and let that dictate the love that you all share?
‐ And I'll say this.
Those feelings don't go away overnight...
And you can still really care about somebody
and want them to do better, and...
I don't think that anybody's irredeemable.
There's a lot of processing that I have to do...
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ And it's just not a situation that I think that I would help
is why I step back and let her do the work
that she's committed to doing.
‐ Well, Matt, as a man, as a new friend,
as a Black man, I'm proud of you.
I appreciate your thoughts on this matter.
Obviously, Rachael is here,
and you all are gonna speak for the very first time
since the breakup.
Before you and Rachael talk collectively,
I'd like to talk to her alone, if that's okay?
‐ That's cool.
‐ Thank you, my man.
When we come back, I'll sit down with Rachael
for her first public interview since her breakup with Matt
and since the controversy that rocked Bachelor Nation.
All of that and more
when "The Bachelor: After the Final Rose" returns.
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
‐ Welcome back to what's already been
a very emotional
"After the Final Rose."
Now, like I promised,
it's about to get uncomfortable,
because shortly after Matt made his debut
as the first Black Bachelor,
Bachelor Nation was stunned to learn of allegations
of a history of racially insensitive behavior
from one of his frontrunners, Rachael Kirkconnell.
Those allegations became reality
when photos of Rachael attending
an antebellum plantation‐themed party
emerged on social media.
Now, Rachael has since issued an apology,
but tonight will be her first time
answering any questions, both since the photos emerged
and, as we just learned, her breakup with Matt.
Please welcome Rachael.
[solemn music]
‐ Hey.
♪ ♪
Hello.
‐ Good to see you. ‐ You too.
[laughs]
♪ ♪
‐ So, Rachael, first of all, how are you doing?
How you holding up?
‐ Um...
[laughs softly]
It's a loaded question.
It's‐‐it's been a lot, um, as anyone can imagine,
but I don't wanna, you know,
sit here and victimize myself, so...
‐ No. ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ Well, let's obviously address the elephant in the room.
Um, in 2018, I guess you took photos
that have recently emerged
of you at a antebellum plantation‐themed party.
For the sake of further clarity,
antebellum literally means, in Latin, "before the war"...
‐ Mm‐hmm. ‐ And so the antebellum South
is literally honoring the South before the war,
the war in question, the war that freed slaves.
‐ Yes. ‐ Many people have already
seen the photos, but for the sake of those
who haven't and educating them on this topic discussion,
I'm just gonna show them a picture.
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ Now, when you look at that photo,
what do you see?
‐ [sighs]
I...
See someone who was living
in this‐‐this ignorance without even, like,
thinking about who it would be hurting.
You know, I‐‐
I never once asked myself at any point, like,
"What's the tradition behind this?
Um, what does this represent?"
You know, "Why‐‐why do we wear those dresses?"
Um, I'm not gonna sit here and say
that I didn't know any better,
because I could've easily asked myself those questions.
No, I never took the time to make that connection,
'cause if I would have taken the time,
I easily could've understood what was wrong with it.
‐ I've heard a definition of prejudice:
prejudice is a willful commitment to ignorance.
You were previously ignorant. ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ Who do you blame for your ignorance?
Was it your upbringing, educationally, familially?
Who do you blame for that ignorance?
‐ I don't wanna sit here and blame my upbringing
or where I, you know, where I grew up,
the location of it, being raised in the "South."
Like, there‐‐there just‐‐ in my eyes, there's no excuse,
because I will say I did get a lot of people saying, like,
"This is normal where I grew up.
"I don't think that that's what that stood for.
"I didn't know that, so it can't be racist,
'cause I'm not a racist,"
and I think that people need to realize
that just saying, like,
"This is normal where I came from,"
or, "This is common where I came from,"
that doesn't make it right, and that doesn't make it okay.
‐ Yeah, I think we need to all collectively
do a better job of acknowledging
that history is meant to be remembered,
but not all history is meant to be celebrated...
‐ Yeah. ‐ And also recognizing
there's a difference between being racist
and racially insensitive or racially ignorant.
I've been very intentional about saying
what you did was racially insensitive.
It was racially ignorant,
and it plays itself out as racism...
‐ Mm‐hmm. It does. ‐ But that doesn't necessarily
classify someone as racist.
You have to pull back the curtains
and look at their intention. ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ Was their intention malicious?
But let me ask you, 'cause so many people,
specifically Black people,
people of color, are wondering...
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ What took you so long to apologize?
What took you so long to release a statement?
‐ I wanted to...
Not just say the right words
just to have people accept them,
but I wanted myself to really understand
exactly why people were so hurt by this,
because...
You know, I want‐‐of course I wanna do better, and...
‐ So what steps
is Rachael Kirkconnell actually taking
to do better, to be better, to learn, to grow?
Talk me through what you're actually doing.
‐ I can sit here, and I can give you a list.
You know, I can say...
I've been reading this, and I've been watching
these documentaries and these movies,
and I've been listening to these podcasts,
and it's great to educate yourself,
but I don't think that anything is going to change
if we don't take those actions to‐‐
to put that education into play.
‐ Now, you knew Matt, a Black man,
was gonna be the Bachelor.
You also knew these photos existed.
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ How often did you lay awake at night
worried that, eventually,
these photos might come out and could ruin your life?
‐ Like, being completely honest,
I didn't think about it one time,
because at that point, you know,
it was just me taking some photos with my friends,
and I didn't think anything of it.
I didn't think of the trauma that it would cause.
‐ We just learned of you and Matt's breakup.
Um, talk me through that conversation.
‐ When he first...
Called me to end things,
my, you know, initial reaction
was I was very...confused.
I was very blindsided,
but once that initial reaction went away...
[breathes deeply]
I thought about, you know,
how strong I thought our relationship was.
So for him to end things, like,
he must have been very, very hurt by everything.
It was hard, because...
I lost the love of my life, but in the process of that,
I hurt him while doing so.
‐ You still love him, don't you?
‐ I love him so much, and I‐‐I always will, and...
[sniffs]
I do feel like I finally do know what real love feels like.
‐ Well, I know you haven't had a chance to see him,
and, obviously, we both know he's here.
You ready for that?
‐ [laughs] No.
I'm not.
‐ Well, I, uh, think he's about to join us
nonetheless, Rachael.
Uh, Matt, go ahead and come on out.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
‐ How are you? ‐ Good.
[inhales sharply]
[sighs]
♪ ♪
‐ Rachael, I know you have a lot on your mind.
You all haven't seen each other since the breakup,
so I just wanted to give you all this time
to talk face‐to‐face.
Rachael, go ahead.
‐ [laughs]
Um...
[sniffs]
I mean, I think that you know everything up to this point.
I think that you know exactly how I feel, and...
[sniffs]
I really just wanna take the time
to say I'm really sorry,
and once I really tried to put myself into your shoes
as much as I could, I really do think
that our relationship was very strong,
and the love that we shared was very real.
So for you to...
To end things, I...
I realized that that must have been really hard for you,
as well, to where... [sniffs]
You must have been hurting,
and I just wanted to say I'm really sorry
for not understanding that initially, um...
And that I'm really sorry that I hurt you.
‐ Matt, how, uh...
How hard is this on you,
just seeing the woman that you love, that you loved,
um, so torn up over hurting you and over losing you?
‐ Um...
I mean... [clears throat]
It's‐‐it's heartbreaking, and it's devastating.
It's...
It's just‐‐it's‐‐ it's just disappointing.
‐ Matt, there's so much more on your heart,
I don't even wanna‐‐ I don't even wanna interject.
I can see it in your eyes.
What else do you want to share with her?
‐ [sighs]
[soft music]
♪ ♪
[sighs]
♪ ♪
‐ [sniffs]
‐ [whispers] Wow.
[somber music]
♪ ♪
‐ [sighs]
♪ ♪
‐ Matt...
What's on your mind?
It's best to just be honest.
‐ [sniffs]
[sighs]
‐ It's okay.
‐ The most disappointing thing for me
was having to explain to you
why what I saw was problematic
and why I was so upset. ‐ Mm‐hmm.
Mm‐hmm.
‐ And‐‐and that's why
it was‐‐that's why it was problematic, because...
When I'm in a relationship, it means that....
I'm committed to that person,
and commitment, for me,
when I'm dating someone, is on track to get married...
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ And so when I questioned our relationship,
it was in the context of you not fully understanding
my Blackness... ‐ [sniffs]
‐ And what it means to be a Black man in America...
‐ Mm‐hmm. ‐ And what it would mean
for our kids when I saw those things...
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ That were floating around the internet.
‐ Mm‐hmm. ‐ And it broke my heart,
because this is the last conversation
I thought we'd be having.
I didn't sign up to have this conversation.
And I knew that...
I had to take a step back for you to put in that work
that you outlined that you needed to do, and...
That's something that you gotta do on your own,
and that's why we can't be in a relationship.
‐ Rachael, how would you communicate to Matt
that the woman he fell in love with‐‐
not the woman from 2018,
but the woman he fell in love with‐‐
is the woman sitting in front of him right now?
‐ Um, I think that's...
Really what I tried to explain to you
when we had that talk was...
[sniffs]
You were the only reason that I decided to do the show...
[sniffs]
Um, and that includes every single part of you...
And that obviously includes you being a Black man.
I've never experienced a love like this, so...
I don't see...
anyone else out there for me, and...
At this point, I just don't see how I can...
have these same feelings for someone else.
[sniffs]
‐ [sighs] Well, Matt, um,
is the door even slightly open
for relationship reconciliation here?
‐ The feelings that I have for you
don't go away overnight...
And seeing you like this hurts,
but then I ask myself, like...
I don't wanna be emotionally responsible for those tears,
'cause it's like...
the work and the reconciliation that needs to be done
is‐‐is work that I can't do for you,
and I know that you're capable of doing it,
and the last thing I want
is for people to be calling to have you canceled
or people to be calling you out for things.
I really want them to call you in,
and I want you to do this work because...
that's the best thing that could come out of this,
and that's something that she's gotta do on her own.
‐ [sniffs]
‐ Rachael, you may never speak to this man again,
um, the man who held your hands
at that last proposal site
and said that he saw you as his wife,
the mother of his children.
Um, if, in fact, you do never see him again...
What would you finally like to communicate with him?
‐ [sniffs, sighs]
[sniffs]
Since day one, all I want is for you to be happy,
and I just want what's best for you, and...
[sniffs]
And I am sorry, and...
[sniffs]
I just‐‐I thank God for...
ever putting you in my life to begin with, and...
[sniffs]
I'll always be thankful for...
[sniffs]
Um, you know, everything that we shared
and the time that we did have together.
[sniffs]
‐ Uh, well, if you all wanna share one final embrace...
‐ [sighs]
[clears throat]
I don't know if it'll ever not hurt hearing those things.
‐ [sighs]
Well, thank y'all both for being here.
I know that was difficult.
Couldn't have been easy.
Um, Rachael, continue to grow,
and I applaud the steps you've taken thus far.
Um, like Matt said, I don't agree with cancel culture,
but I do agree with accountability,
and I can see that you're very much so being accountable.
Matt, I appreciate your transparency,
your authenticity, your vulnerability.
I'm sorry things ended this way,
but good luck to both of you on your future journeys.
[sighs]
Obviously, it's been a very emotional night,
but when we return,
we're gonna try to turn the corner here.
We're gonna meet our new Bachelorette,
and if you think you know who it is,
you might be right, but you might not be.
Get ready for a curveball, Bachelor Nation.
We'll see you shortly.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
‐ Welcome back to
"The Bachelor: After the Final Rose"
for what has been a very emotional night.
However, it's time
to look ahead to the future,
the next Bachelorette.
Now, Matt had such an incredible group of women
that the choice was more difficult than ever before.
Ultimately, it came down to two strong, deserving women.
I think we need to talk to both of them
before we make that big reveal,
so please welcome Michelle and Katie.
♪ ♪
‐ [chuckles]
♪ ♪
Hi.
♪ ♪
Hello, hello.
Good to see you.
‐ Nice to see you.
♪ ♪
‐ [sighs]
So this is obviously a big decision.
Both of you incredibly deserving, incredible women,
but there's no use in drawing it out any longer,
because a decision has been made.
Should we tell Bachelor Nation?
♪ ♪
both: We're the Bachelorettes.
[laughter] ‐ That's right.
Two separate seasons. Two separate women.
Two separate journeys,
hopefully ending up in two separate engagements.
Congratulations, ladies.
‐ Thank you. ‐ Thank you.
‐ I would be lying if I didn't say,
when they first told me,
I thought we were gonna be the Bachelorette
at the same time, and so...
[laughter] I was a little nervous,
but once I found out that it was two different seasons,
I was here for it.
I'm excited that I get to have somebody
to bond over with this and share notes as we go.
‐ [laughing] Katie, you're going first.
What is exciting you most about this opportunity?
‐ I mean, I'm ready to find love,
and not just, like, the temporary kind.
I'm talking forever, my husband,
and I'm in a place in my life
where I feel like I'm the best version of me.
‐ Yeah. ‐ Honestly,
I've seen it work before.
Why can't it work for me? ‐ Yeah.
Michelle, you've gone through
such a tumultuous love journey of your own
over the last few months. ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ Uh, re you ready to try to find love once again?
‐ I am ready, and like Katie said,
I really do think that this process works.
When you can set down all these outside distractions
and really dive in,
I think you can learn a lot about somebody.
I'm just excited.
I'm ready to get started. ‐ Yeah.
‐ Well, Michelle, Katie, I cannot be happier
for both of you on this upcoming journey to find love.
It's gonna be very exciting, and, hopefully,
it ends up in two engagements.
‐ [laughs]
‐ Huge thank you to Bachelor Nation
for having me here tonight.
A sincere, sincere thank you,
'cause it's been an honor to help navigate
these uncomfortable but important conversations
and a pleasure to spend this time with you all.
Please join us this summer for the kickoff
of Katie's season of "The Bachelorette,"
and stay tuned for the beginning
of Michelle's journey this fall.
I'm Emmanuel Acho.
Thank you, and good night.
[bright music]
♪ ♪
[laughter]