In February 2024, James told PEOPLE the couple were aligned about their plans to get married. “We wouldn’t be together if that wasn’t the same goal,” he said. “I’m definitely excited for what the future looks like with us.” He also said when it came time to propose, it would “be something special because Rachael’s very special.”
James’ friend T.J. Holmes also revealed on a recent episode of the Amy & T.J. Podcast that he and his girlfriend Amy Robach had private conversations about marriage being in the cards for the former couple. He shared, “[We’re] walking a fine line here because there’s, obviously, some stuff that we are privy to behind the scenes and from a personal standpoint with Matt over the years now. So I do wanna make sure we’re respectful of that relationship. But I can say that stuff he’s putting out publicly is also what he was saying privately. [I’ve] been talking plenty with him about marriage and future and Rachael and where they were going, what they were gonna be.”
