Rachael Kirkconnell needs no introduction. She’s essentially the woman of the moment. The 2025 people’s princess, if you will. And if you’re here reading this right now, chances are you’re eager for any little sip of tea she might be willing to spill. If that’s the case, then good news: You’ve come to the right place.

The 28-year-old Bachelor star-turned-lifestyle-influencer has stayed mum in the wake of her breakup from her boyfriend of four years, Bachelor Season 25 lead Matt James. Save, of course, for an explosive interview with former Cosmopolitan cover star Alex Cooper on Call Her Daddy, which dropped on January 28, and one cheeky IG post (IYKYK) the day after. Otherwise, Rachael has stayed off social media and kept to herself. But Cosmo had the chance to sit down with her in NYC this week while she was in town for a Galentine’s Day staycation with Amazon (if you want to see her favorite G-day products for gifting and hosting, click here). And our girl had a lot to say about life lately.

Spoiler alert: She’s feeling all the feels, doing her damn best, and leaning on all the amazing women in her life (and there are a lot...including Taylor Swift) to get her through. Read on for the scoop.

(BTW, if you’ve been living under a rock and you have no idea what I’m talking about, first of all: Wow. Second of all: Feel free to do a deep dive on our breakup explainer here, or check out Rachael and Matt’s relationship timeline.)

RACHAEL’S AMAZON GALENTINE’S GIFT PICKS

You have had quite the new year—how are you feeling, what are your vibes at this exact moment?

Vibes are high at this exact moment—I’ve had a great day at the Amazon staycation, and we’ve just been doing lots of girlie things, getting ready, hanging out, looking at some new products. But yeah, I’m okay right now.

So good to hear. Obviously, it’s almost Galentine’s Day. How have the women in your life stepped up for you lately, amid everything that’s been happening?

I mean, my support system, with all the women in my life, it’s never faded. They’ve been with me through everything, all the highs and lows. So of course, they’ve been very supportive through everything lately.

Are there any specific female friendships you want to shout out?

I would love to shout out my little sister [Trinity]. She’s my absolute rock. And it’s funny because we definitely have the typical older sister/little sister dynamic, where I take care of everything, and she’s my baby. But that being said, she takes care of me on such an emotional level, and she’s there for me day or night. She literally broke into my house when I got home from my trip [after the breakup], because it was one of those things where I was like, “Okay, bye world.” I put the phone down, just wanted to be by myself for a little bit. But she was like, “Sorry, you can be by yourself, but you’re gonna be by yourself next to me.”

Have any girls from the Bachelor franchise reached out?

A lot of the girls from my cast have been very supportive. I think when you’re watching the show, it’s easy to forget that the women on each season spend so much time together that real friendships are formed. As the years go on, of course, everyone ends up doing their own thing and you don’t get to see each other as much, but you’ve been through such a crazy thing in your life that you’ll always be tied together somehow. It’s just nice to know that even after all the years that have gone by, they’re still in my corner at the end of the day. Lots of love from everyone.

Where would you say you are in your breakup journey?

Ooh, I don’t know. Is there, like, five stages of grief for that? I would honestly say that I’m...I don’t know if it’s shock, but I don’t think I’ve registered it still. It’s only been a few weeks, but I’m definitely in that phase of just, like, still trying to grasp everything and figure out a new normal. It’s easier said than done. Some days are easier than others, but I’m feeling okay. Breakups are normal; they happen to everyone. But I think just the way it went down was really crazy for me to comprehend and still is. In a way, it almost makes it easier, you know? I think when something crazy like that happens, it’s something that you can almost replay in your head to get over it quicker, if that makes any sense.

Yeah, I feel like after a breakup, a lot of people grasp at straws to go back to the way it was, but yours seemed more final, I guess?

Yeah, I’m like, “No.” There’s just no way I’m letting myself.

I will say, I watched the Call Her Daddy interview and felt so proud of you hearing all that.

Thank you. I blacked out. You’re so nervous, so I was like, I’m just gonna talk to you like we’re friends and I’m not gonna worry about anything else around me and hopefully it works out. It was such a hard thing, because I want to have respect for all parties involved, and I don’t want anyone to be hurt more than they already are through the situation. But I did also have to speak my truth and honestly help myself get that closure.

What would you tell any girl going through a breakup right now?

My gosh, so much. It’s the oldest story in the book, but at the end of the day, it really is going to be okay. It takes time and going through the motions and figuring out your new normal. I also am a big believer that everything happens how it’s supposed to. Whatever is supposed to come to you will come to you. It’ll find you, and you’re gonna be okay regardless. And finally, I don’t think you need anyone in your life to be happy. They should be an addition to your life, but they shouldn’t make or break your happiness.

What do you think the best piece of advice is that someone has given you in the last month?

Probably just to take time for myself and understand that things are going to take time. To give myself grace and to lean into the bad days. If it’s a bad day, it’s a bad day—hang out in bed, do your thing, don’t feel guilty about it. And the days that you’re feeling good, don’t feel guilty about feeling good. Go out and have fun and make the most of it.

Girls across the world showed up for you in your IG comments in your first post-breakup post. First of all, were you nervous to post that? And then how did it make you feel seeing all that love rush in?

First of all, I’m nervous to post anything. I am one of those people where I’ll post a story of my coffee and then throw my phone across the room. That’s why sometimes I’m like, “What is my life, right? This is my job?” So yes, of course, it was very nerve-wracking.

But I’m also at the point right now where I’m telling myself that nothing matters as much as I think it does. If I’m alive and well in bed, that’s a blessing. If I have my health and my sanity and a roof over my head and food at my table, I can’t care about anything else. So yeah, I think it was nerve-wracking and sweet to see people in my corner, and I love them and I’m thankful for them. But right now, it doesn’t make or break anything. I know I’ll be okay regardless. And those [sweet commenters] could all leave tomorrow.

Are there any self-love affirmations you’ve been telling yourself?

I’m working a lot on my self-confidence and feeling good about myself regardless of what others say or think about me. So the biggest thing I’ve been doing, whether I’m rolling out of bed in the morning or getting ready, is looking in the mirror and instead of picking myself apart, telling myself, You’re beautiful, you’re a rock star, and you’re gonna have a great day. So I guess my affirmation is just shut up and love yourself regardless of what’s going on.

Are there any songs or podcasts you’ve had on repeat?

Obviously, The Tortured Poets Department [laughs]. Yeah, anything Taylor right now is great. I’ve been really loving Doechii. I haven’t been listening to podcasts, but someone I’ve really been obsessing over lately—and I think it’s just because her movie [One of Them Days] just came out—is Keke Palmer. Anything that she does or says, I’m sat. She takes my mood from “I’m not feeling it” to “I can conquer the world.”

Love all three of them. Would you say you identify as a Swiftie?

I mean, yeah. I’m 28, and I was 10, I think, when her very first album came out. But I’m not out there looking for Easter eggs, even though I respect that. I just love the music. And as a woman, you just have to respect her. I’ve been there for every album and she got me through breakups when I was 12, 16, 24, and now 28. You have to be a fan when she’s there for you through all of that.

Do you have any plans for Galentine’s Day?

I am actually going to Vegas with a few of my girlfriends on actual Valentine’s Day.

Oh my god, that is so iconic.

It was very last minute. It just happened to work out, and I feel like it’ll be a great distraction. I feel bad because, like, all of my friends are in relationships and I’m definitely taking them from their Valentine’s Days. But like, they’ve all been in relationships for so long. Their boyfriends are probably like...[pumps fist].

What’s the top quality you’re going to be looking for in a man moving forward?

I honestly just want him to be a simp.