Bachelor Matt James breaks down in tears as he confronts his estranged father after tough childhood in emotional finale
MATT James broke down in tears after a heated confrontation with his estranged father, Manny, in The Bachelor’s two-part finale.
In a preview from the upcoming episodes, the 29-year-old said he had “needed” his dad during his childhood and didn’t want to hear “excuses”.
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was raised by his mother, Patty, after his parents divorced when he was young following Manny’s infidelity.
The reality star was visibly emotional as he came face to face with Manny at a hotel in .
“When I needed you, you weren’t there!” a hurt-looking Matt told his father.
Manny shot back: “Do you know what I went through with your mom?”
Matt countered, “I don’t want you to make excuses,” to which Manny said: “Nobody’s perfect, son.”
Matt later told the cameras how his parents’ volatile dynamic has affected his relationships today.
“There’s still a lot of fear based on what I’ve seen with my family in the past,” he said,
“I don’t want to make those same mistakes that caused my family to be torn apart.”
Matt then spoke to his beloved mom, Patty, who said: “Feelings come and go. People fall in and out of love and love is not the be all, end all.”
The ABC star started sobbing on camera as he told producers: “I feel like everything I was working towards is starting to crumble. I don’t know how to go on.”
He has talked about his tough childhood in the past, revealing back in January that his father cheated on his mother.
“There [are] very tough conversations that I have with individuals that allude to where I’m at in my life and why it’s been so difficult for me to be in a relationship,” Matt said on the Tamron Hall Show.
“A lot of that stems from my dad and my mom’s relationship. I saw what infidelity looked like at a young age,” he went on.
“I saw family members that were against the relationship and doubling down on it after seeing the infidelity between my dad and my mom.”
After his parents’ split, Matt and his older brother, John, were raised by Patty on her own.
“[Infidelity] is such a selfish thing to happen,” Matt added.
“For it to take place when you’ve made that commitment to somebody – and knowing how serious I take that commitment – is why I want to make sure that I’m going about this process as seamless[ly] and focused as I can so I’m not putting someone in the situation to get hurt.”
Next week, heads into with final three , 24, , 27, , 24.
Rachael has been facing backlash after resurfaced photos from 2018 that show her attending an .
After being labeled “racist” by fans, she in a lengthy Instagram statement.
She then and admitted she was “tired” of “not saying anything” through .
added: “If you are in my comments or anywhere defending me or telling people that I did nothing wrong or that there is nothing to be hurt or offended about, please stop.”
Last week, Matt about the show’s with Rachael and host Chris Harrison at the center – calling their behavior “devastating.”
He wrote in a statement: “The past few weeks have been some of the most challenging of my life.
“And while there are several episodes left of the season, it is important that I take the time to address the troubling information that has come to light since we wrapped filming.
“Including the incredibly disappointing photos of and the interview between Rachel Lindsay and .”