Stark Difference in Rachael Kirkconnell and Matt James’ Bachelor Runner-up Michelle Young’s Life Now Will Make You Sad
- Michelle Young is engaged to Jack Leius.
- Young and Rachael Kirkconnell were the two finalists at The Bachelor's Season 25 which Kirkconnell won.
- Rachael Kirkconnell was blindsided by Matt James' public post about their breakup.
Television personality and elementary school teacher Michelle Young rose to fame after she appeared on season 25 of The Bachelor, where Matt James was the star. Young made it to the finale of The Bachelor but was rejected in favor of fellow contestant Rachael Kirkconnell. The elementary school teacher was announced as the lead of Season 18 of The Bachelorette alongside Katie Thurston.
Michelle Young gave her final rose to Nayte Olukoya, and the two of them got engaged in 2021. But their romance was short-lived as they announced separation in 2022. The Bachelorette alum’s recent development in her personal life is now being compared to her fellow contestant Rachael Kirkconnell.
The Bachelor alum Michelle Young is engaged to Jack Leius
The Bachelor alum, Michelle Young, after her split from ex-fiancé Nayte Olukoya in 2022, met Jack Leius through a mutual friend. They became Instagram official in October 2023 and later at Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist’s Golden Bachelor wedding.
In an interview with People, Young shared that she was drawn to Leius’ energy and kindness. She added one does not have to spend too much time with him to realize how much he cares about people. Michelle Young mentioned that Jack Leius is the one who comes to her mind when she’s asked those cheesy-type questions about ‘who comes to your mind when you hear words like trustworthy, genuine, and considerate.’
Michelle Young recalled the first time she fell in love with Leius,
I was sitting at the dinner table with my family (he was not present) and got choked up while telling them how I’ve never met anyone who calms my nervous system.
The television personality arrived at Centennial Lakes in Minnesota thinking that she’d be working for a commercial, but it turns out it was a proposal set up by Jack Leius. She recalled the moment she realized that she had just walked in for her proposal and not a shoot. She said,
I completely froze when I saw Jack standing in the middle of this beautiful flower arch of white roses. I was fooled so badly that for a moment I thought the joke was that Jack was one of the male models that I would be working with at the shoot.
Young noted that Leius showed no signs of planning to get engaged or anything, which is why she was sure that it wouldn’t happen so soon. Her engagement ring features a 3.56-carat emerald-cut diamond.
Michelle Young shared that she tried to say yes several times but was in shock that no words came out. The 31-year-old TV personality mentioned that there were a lot of happy tears, and of course, she said YES. The two of them are now busy planning their wedding.
Michelle Young’s engagement gets compared to Rachael Kirkconnell’s split from Matt James
Rachael Kirkconnell recently split from her Bachelor boyfriend, Matt James. She recently spoke to Alex Cooper of Call Her Daddy and clarified the air regarding her split. She said,
The plane is taking off, and I see his post, and that’s it. I don’t have any service or anything for the next 12 hours, so I’m freaking out because, you know, I 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.
Kirkconnell mentioned that she is still in total shock, which is why she has not commented on the situation. She said, just like everyone else, she is processing the split.
The TV personality noted that before she split from Matt James, she believed that they were on the same page, privately and publicly. She said,
We talked about rings; he told me a few months ago to start saving some things and picking things out. I’ll speak about it whenever I’m ready, but for now, I’m just protecting my peace.
Kirkconnell, however, clarified that there was NO infidelity involved and there was NO chance they’d get back together. Bachelor fans were quick to express their support and love for Kirkconnell as they wrote that her interview was a class act because she could have said so many things, but she chose to respect their boundaries and kept it to herself.
However, it was also pointed out that the television personality who beat Michelle Young to win The Bachelor did not get engaged after four years of dating Matt James. This makes the entire situation extremely sad and disheartening for Kirkconnell.
But Young, who was rejected by James and then her engagement with Olukoya did not work, finally was able to find some peace and her soulmate within Jack Leius. Matt James’ haters said Young dodged a bullet with him.
Fans have just been pouring love and support on Kirkconnell as they believe that the TV personality deserves better and someone who would be respectful to her.
