Rachael Kirkconnell Wiki
Rachael Kirkconnell Biography
Rachael Kirkconnell is competing for Matt James’ heart on The Bachelor, but off the air, she faces accusations of racism and cultural appropriation. His mother, Kim, addresses each of those allegations in an interview with The Sun.
By stating that “no one should have to go through what she’s been through,” Kim is opening up about her daughter’s hopelessness and frustration. She said the family has also faced threats.
Stating that she has prevented her daughter from talking about her, she added: “We hope that she will soon come to her moment where she can address everything.”
Kim Called the Accusations of Bullying ‘Slander and Libel’
Kim called the allegations that her daughter bullied Maddy Bierster “for liking black men” as “libel and defamation.”
The IT professional acknowledged that Bierster may have been the victim of harassment and knew her daughter, but not on “any kind of personal level.” She told the outlet that Bierster attended a different high school than her daughter’s.
She said that in the absence of evidence, “[Bierster] was served a cease and desist that she chose not to comply with.” Now the family is “considering legal action.”
She Refutes Claims Kirkconnell Partied on a Plantation
The allegations against Kirkconnell appeared to come to a head when photos of the beleaguered start appeared in Civil War-era costumes. However, his mother claims it was just a photoshoot in “Southern Belle dresses” before their ceremony on the beach.
“The event made no references to the Civil War, the word Antebellum was never used to describe the event, there were no Confederate flags and no Confederate costumes were worn,” Kim told the publication.
She claims that Kirkconnell abandoned Greek life, including his own sorority, shortly after, when he “began to recognize a lot of problematic and racist behaviors.”
Kim added that Chris Harrison’s stance on the matter, which she shared in an extra interview, is “the exact opposite” of Kirkconnell. He wondered if an “Old South” party would still have been considered a bad look in 2018. He has since announced that he is temporarily “stepping aside” as host, but Kirkconnell finds “some comfort” in the incident that pushes to the franchise to “take One step in the right direction.”
Kim Claimed Kirkconnell Was ‘Not yet Educated’ at the Time of Some of Her Behavior
Kirkconnell was criticized for wearing Native American costumes and liking the photos as friends posing in front of a Confederate flag.
While she says her daughter was “ashamed” that she liked the post, she claims that Kirkconnell did not “register” the presence of the flag in the photo. As for the cultural appropriation allegations, she told The Sun that the Bachelor contestant “still had no education.”
She said: “Cultural appropriation was not right then and it is not right now, and she regrets all the people she offended by liking that photo.”
Since then, she claims Kirkconnell has “donated, signed petitions, made a conscious effort to listen and learn, and encouraged other white allies to do the same on their social media,” even at the expense of lifelong friendships.
However, she believes that she omitted “any recognition of her anti-racist efforts” from her to support “the theory that she is a racist”. Instead, Kirkconnell’s mother described her as “non-judgmental, kind, caring, compassionate, non-confrontational, and friendly to everyone she meets.”
Kim Addressed James’ Statement
After James’s statement on Instagram that mentions the “racist Antebellum South story,” Kim acknowledged that “you will never be able to understand how he feels about this situation as a black man.” We respect his position on the situation. ”
However, her daughter only “wants to be able to show him that she has changed and work with him to fight injustice.”
Insisting that the graphic designer was always looking for love, Kim said of James: “If she chooses Rachael and supports her, then you know that Matt really loves her. If he chooses Rachael and then leaves her, then he wasn’t meant to be, and there’s someone else there for her. ”
Kirkconnell has since apologized on Instagram.