Shares his pain
Prince Harry writes to children about losing his mother at a young age.
Matt James is reflecting on his relationship with Rachael Kirkconnell after controversial photos of her led to the “Bachelor” stars’ split.
James, 29, and the 24year-old ended the show together but went their separate ways after photos of a 2018 plantationthemed party, which Kirkconnell attended, came to light.
The ABC Food Tours founder, who learned about the pictures on social media “like everybody else,” spoke about the “devastating” realization with “The Bill Simmons Podcast” Friday.
“Those feelings that you had for that person don’t just go away overnight,” he explained, noting he went on the ABC reality show “to find someone who I’m compatible with” and not to “have to have that conversation,” but “felt like a lot of that teaching and learning was put on me.”
The businessman ultimately decided “to take a step back” so Kirkconnell, who he previously believed he could one day marry, can “put in the work.
“Put in the work is educating yourself. It’s hiring a person of color, a woman of color, to show you the nuances of how to act and how not to act. Some people didn’t grow up in diverse backgrounds like I did,” James explained. “The tough thing is having to explain to America why those pictures are problematic to me. And you hear people harping up on forgiveness. And I forgave her when she told me but that doesn’t mean I’m not disappointed and that I don’t want her to do better. And for that to take place, I had to take a step back and let her pursue that.”
At the moment, the businessman is “so exhausted” and “can’t even think about … pursuing a woman right now.”
Regarding a possible reconciliation, he shared: “I don’t think that anyone’s irredeemable and I think that for Rachael, there’s a lot that we didn’t discuss that we probably should have talked about. I probably should have asked more clarifying questions. I’m giving her the space to do that. In the meantime, I’m working on myself.”
Harry comforts children of COVID-19 victims
Britain’s Prince Harry has written the forward for a new book aimed at the children of frontline workers who died in the COVID -19 pandemic, sharing the pain he suffered as a boy after the death of his mother, Princess Diana.
Harry wrote that losing his mother at age 12 left “a huge hole inside of me,” according to excerpts of the book printed in the Times of London. Diana died in a Paris car accident in August 1997.
“Hospital by the Hill,” by Chris Connaughton, is the story of a young person whose mother worked at a hospital and died during the pandemic. It is being given to children who have experienced similar losses.
“While I wish I was able to hug you right now, I hope this story is able to provide you comfort in knowing that you’re not alone,” Harry wrote in the forward. “When I was a young boy I lost my mum. At the time, I didn’t want to believe it or accept it, and it left a huge hole inside of me. I know how you feel, and I want to assure you that over time that hole will be filled with so much love and support.”
Harry has on several occasions reflected on the enduring pain he experienced from his mother’s sudden death. He has made mental health awareness a key part of his charitable work.
—Associated Press
“The Talk” hiatus will continue another week
CBS’ “The Talk” will be on hiatus through at least next week amid allegations of bullying, racist, and homophobic language by co-host Sharon Osbourne.
A return date has yet to be set for the daytime talk show, which was first put on a two-day hiatus last Sunday, only to have that pause extended, Deadline reported Friday.
The break began in response to Osbourne, 68, supporting pal Piers Morgan after controversial remarks sowing doubt into Meghan Markle’s experience
with suicidal thoughts, as discussed in the March 7 airing of her and Prince Harry’s CBS interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Morgan, 55, lashed out against the former “Suits” actress, 39, the next morning on Monday’s episode of “Good Morning Britain,” quickly receiving backlash. He stood his ground Tuesday, storming off the set and ultimately exiting the show.
Osbourne that day tweeted: “@piersmorgan I am with you. I stand by you” and on her show said she didn’t agree with what he’d said.
“Everybody goes, if you support him, you must be racist, because he’s racist. I’m not racist. Neither is Piers racist,” said the former “X Factor” judge. “I feel like I’m about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend who many people think is racist, so that makes me racist.”
Osbourne has since been accused of using racist and homophobic language against former co-hosts, including Julie Chen, Holly Robinson Peete and Sara Gilbert. Osbourne has denied the allegations.