Matt James Might Be Dating [SPOILER], but She Didn't Get the Final Rose

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Matt James' season of The Bachelor.

The current season of The Bachelor is unlike any other. A Black Bachelor who has never been on any of the franchise’s shows during a pandemic is already more than enough to turn heads, but with Matt James’ season, we found out who he picked before the season started! Even though this is a major breach of contract, sources suspect it could have been Matt himself who leaked the winner of the final rose, leading many to believe he isn’t single.

It’s widely known that Matt picked Rachael Kirkconnell, who was at the center of racial controversy over her going to an Antebellum South party. After that, Matt shared a statement on his Instagram that this situation “has been devastating and heartbreaking,” so this led many to believe that Matt James is single. But now there are rumors circulating that Matt is dating someone new. So, is the Bachelor single or taken?

Even though Matt is reportedly no longer with Rachael, the rumored winner of his season, that does not mean he is single. That would be a quick bounce back from dating 38 women, but it’s not unheard of. There were even photos weeks ago of Matt in Miami flying solo with other men from Bachelor Nation posted on the Deux Moi Instagram account.

So if Matt isn’t single, who could he be dating? Some might expect him to date a different woman from his season, like his pal Peter Weber. But according to new rumors from Bachelor Nation sleuths, Matt might actually be dating Heather Martin. Yes, the Heather from Colton Underwood’s season, who tried to interrupt Matt’s season and walk in just two weeks before hometown dates. 

There are quite a few hints that the two are secretly dating. A video of Heather proves she was backstage at the "Women Tell All," and many suspect she was brought on but cut out of the final edit because she may have revealed too much about her existing relationship with Matt, or that they began dating right after it.

An even bigger clue is that although Matt notoriously lives in New York City, he recently traveled to San Clemente, Calif. Guess who lives in San Clemente? Yes, Heather does, and she tagged a photo of herself also in San Clemente at the same time Matt was there. Even beyond that, they both posted about eating hummus at the same time on their Instagram Stories, according to Celebuzz. If that's a coincidence, it's a mightily weird one.

Typically during "After the Final Rose," we find out how the final couple is doing now, and maybe even who the Bachelorette will be. This year will likely be no different. It would be a very strange turn of events for Matt James to not only say that he’s no longer with the woman he gave the final rose to, but that he’s actually with a different woman. The only time that has happened is when men have gone to their runner-up as a new twist of drama.

Last season, Peter Weber gave his final rose to Hannah Ann Sluss, but he quickly changed his mind and ended up with runner-up Madison Prewett. However, it didn't take long for the two to reveal that they'd broken up, just days after the "After the Final Rose." Barely a month later, Peter was with contestant Kelley Flanagan.

At the moment, there are no leaks about Matt bringing another woman to "After the Final Rose."

However, there has been a leak about who will be the next Bachelorette! At first it was only rumored, and then the rumors died down, but Reality Steve just confirmed that Katie Thurston will be the next Bachelorette. Let’s cross our fingers and just hope that all these rumors are true.

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.