Arie Luyendyk Jr. Calls Off Engagement With ‘Bachelor’ Winner To Date Runner-Up
Bachelor fans, buckle up because the upcoming finale episode of The Bachelor is sure to be a bumpy a ride.
After a not-so-highly reviewed season, it turns out Arie Luyendyk Jr. saved the best (well, most shocking moment) for last. A source exclusively revealed to Us Weekly that Arie’s current girlfriend is not the woman he chose on the show's finale! (To avoid spoiling the ending, OK! is not revealing if Arie chose Lauren Burnham, 25 or Becca Kufrin, 27.)
“Arie had a change of heart,” dished a show insider. “He began to think he’d picked the safer option.” And while a second source told the mag that Arie thought he was making the right decision in Peru, as he “really felt ready for marriage," things changed for him after his proposal.
Despite being “super happy” in the weeks following their engagement, the insider said that after about two months the 36-year-old realtor began having doubts.
“He had second thoughts,” the source revealed. “He realized who he really wanted to be with and really loved. He just couldn’t stop thinking about the other woman.”
Those thoughts ultimately turned into actions as the bachelor not only ended his engagement to his winner but flew to the runner-up’s hometown to try and win her back.
“Arie didn’t handle the situation well,” noted the insider. “He wasn’t sympathetic or even very nice,” which “shocked” his then-fiancée. Almost immediately after their split, the former racecar driver was “begging” for his runner-up “to take him back, which she did,” as ABC cameras captured it all.
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While Arie and his runner-up are currently together, another insider revealed that “they don’t want to jump into anything,” so they’re taking things slowly.
Arie hinted at his Bachelor switch-up during the Women Tell All special when he told Chris Harrison that he definitely has regrets about his Bachelor journey.
“If I could rewind time and redo things as the bachelor, I would, honestly,” he admitted. “I know people always say, ‘No regrets.’ But I have regrets.”
“There’s a huge weight being the Bachelor and making the right choices and not regretting those choices,” he added. “And I think that is something that I struggled with, being logical. But, then again, it’s like, you do have to follow your heart.”
If only his heart didn’t lead to the heartbreak of another.
The Bachelor finale airs Monday, March 5, on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.
To see a sneak peek at the finale episode, click the video above!
Who do you think Arie chooses in the end? Sound off in the comments!
