Matt James‘ journey is coming to an end on season 25 of The Bachelor. Before he makes his decision about who he wants to spend the rest of his life with, though, Matt will have to have a difficult conversation about his past. Previews for the show’s final two episodes reveal that Matt’s estranged dad, Manny James, will make a surprise appearance, and things don’t look like they go very smoothly between the two men.
A peek at the final two episodes of this season of The Bachelor 🌹 pic.twitter.com/P5Bgb6AJbT
— The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) March 2, 2021
“When I needed you, you weren’t there,” Matt tells his dad in the preview. Manny responds, “Do you know what I went through with your mom?” Things appear to get heated at that point, as Matt demands, “I don’t want you to make excuses!” and Manny says back, “No one is perfect, son.” Matt admittedly fears that he’ll make the same mistakes that his parents did when it comes to love, which is giving him reservations about finishing out his journey. Ahead of the March 8 episode ,here’s more to know about Manny:
What Is Matt’s Relationship With His Dad?
Matt has been open about being raised by a single mother while on The Bachelor. While he rarely talks about his father, he has said in previous interviews that Manny has been “absent” from his life. On Father’s Day 2020, Matt did not acknowledge his dad on social media. Rather, he made a post that was fully dedicated to his mom, Patty Cucolo James.
What Happened Between Matt’s Parents?
During a January interview on The Tamron Hall Show, Matt opened up about his parents’ divorce and how it affected his future relationships. “A lot of [my trouble with relationships] stems from my mom and dad’s relationship,” Matt admitted. “I saw what infidelity looked like at a young age. I saw family members that were against the relationship and doubling down on it after seeing the infidelity between my dad and my mom.”
Matt Comes From A Mixed Background
Matt was the first Black male to be cast as the Bachelor. Matt is actually biracial, as his dad is Black and his mom is white. He admitted that this put some pressure on him when it came to finding love. “People want you to end up with a certain type of person,” he explained. “I experienced what it was like to be a product of interracial marriage. It’s tough because you’ve got people who have certain views, old-school views, on what a relationship and what love looks like.”
Does Matt Have Any Siblings?
In addition to his parents, Matt also has a brother named John. John is older than Matt and was also raised by their mother, Patty. Matt has not spoken much about his brother on the show, but did briefly open up about their relationship in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “My brother and I have completely different religious views, and I don’t love him any less,” Matt admitted. “I would never want that to be something that kept be from being with somebody.”
How Has Matt’s Relationship With His Dad Affected Him?
Having an estranged relationship with Manny has taken a bit of a toll on Matt. “He was always drawn to families where the mom and dad are together,” Patty admitted during an interview with ABC News in 2019. Matt also made it clear that his mom is his only role model when it comes to love, as he said on Good Morning America, “I’m looking for someone who you can experience life together with. Someone who is trustworthy, someone who is themselves, someone who’s caring, honest, compassionate. Everything [my mom] sacrificed for myself and my brother to be in the position that we’re at, I want to be that for somebody else. And the way she loved myself and John is how I want to love somebody and how I want to be loved.”