She knows a thing or two about navigating Bachelor Nation drama.
Rachael Kirkconnell has offered support to former “Bachelor” Season 25 co-star Pieper James as the latter recovers from an embarrassing run on “Bachelor in Paradise” Season 7, a source exclusively told Page Six.
“Rachael has been in Pieper’s shoes before,” the insider said, adding that Kirkconnell, 24, believes her own scandal — which involved accusations of racism — was “much worse.”
“Rachael felt compelled to reach out and let Pieper know that it will all be OK and that the situation with Brendan [Morais] isn’t the end of the world,” the source added. “She feels like the perfect person for Pieper to lean on right now.”
As “Paradise” viewers witnessed in last week’s episode, James, 23, and Morais, 31, were all but exiled from the beach after their alleged scheme to continue a previously established relationship on reality TV was unveiled.
The pair waded deeper into villain territory when they were caught on camera discussing their Instagram follower counts, screen time on the ABC show and fascination with articles written about them.
Adding to the impropriety was that Morais lured fan favorite Natasha Parker into a temporary romance before making an abrupt exit to pursue James. Though Morais and James had hoped their appearances on “Paradise” would bolster their Bachelor Nation profiles, their plan ultimately backfired as they were accused of joining the show for the “wrong reasons.”
Both have since lost significant amounts of Instagram followers, with Morais in particular hemorrhaging more than 100,000.
“Rachael can’t believe Pieper said some of the things she did on camera,” the source said. “But she still feels really bad for her. She got close to Pieper while filming ‘The Bachelor’ and knows she’s a good person. She feels like she got dragged into unnecessary drama.
“Rachael told Pieper that she’s here for her whenever she needs it,” the insider added.
James and Morais have since apologized to fans and to Parker, 33, for their behavior on the show, but they still strongly deny that they made a plan to reunite in Mexico after going on several dates earlier this year.
Months after experiencing the wrath of Bachelor Nation herself, Kirkconnell has finally recuperated.
The Georgia native was accused of racist behavior in February, while “Bachelor” Matt James’ season was airing, after old photos surfaced of her attending an antebellum-themed party in college. Critics, including Season 13 “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsay, called out the racist undertones of the Old South celebration, likening the event to a glorification of slavery.
Kirkconnell was chastised over the photos, and longtime “Bachelor” host Chris Harrison was later ousted from the franchise for defending her in an interview. The contestant eventually took accountability for being “ignorant” in a lengthy Instagram video apology
Incidentally, Kirkconnell won the final rose of James, ABC’s first black “Bachelor.” Though her controversy led to a brief split, the two ultimately reconciled their romance.
Kirkconnell is currently spending time with James, 29, in Los Angeles as he prepares to make his “Dancing With the Stars” debut.
On Sunday, the couple caught up with former “Bachelorette” and ballroom champ Hannah Brown at The Grove. Brown — who brought along her model boyfriend, Adam Woolard — treated James to a mini dance lesson, delighting shoppers and a proud Kirkconnell.
“Rachael finally feels comfortable in the public eye. She made it through a really tough time,” the source said. “She knows there’s light at the end of the tunnel for Pieper, too.”