The Bachelor made big news recently when leading man Arie Luyendyk broke up with the woman he proposed to at the end of the finale. Many viewers (and some non-viewers who saw the news online) sided with the unfortunately dumped Becca Kufrin in the aftermath, with some going to far as to put up billboards slamming him for what he did and moving on to former contestant Lauren Burnham right away. Now, Arie has spoken out about why he proposed to Becca when he wasn't 100% positive that he wanted to marry her, saying this:
I think because Lauren had a little trouble opening up on the show, I think I attributed that to her not being ready. Because she was nervous, it made me nervous that she would eventually leave me, and that's what terrified me. I knew that Becca would never leave my side, because she was so overly confident in our relationship. So it really was, for me on that last day, about a safe choice rather than risking my heart.
So, apparently Arie Luyendyk decided to go ahead and propose to Becca Kufrin despite not loving her as much as Lauren Burnham because he was positive that she wouldn't leave him, which... if Arie wants to win the support of the public after how he dumped Becca, I don't think saying that he chose Becca because he didn't doubt that she was totally devoted to him was the way to go. His comments to PeopleTV indicate that he was perfectly willing to propose and hook Becca than risk being alone after his season of The Bachelor.
For any Bachelor fans who weren't pacified by his attempt at defending how he dumped Becca on camera by tricking her, I'm guessing his latest explanation isn't going to result in mass forgiveness. Even unpopular former Bachelor contestant Juan Pablo Galavis weighed in on how severe the fan reaction was to Arie's actions.
Lauren Burnham wasn't upset by how Arie handled the situation, as she happily accepted after he proposed to her on the Bachelor: After The Final Rose special on ABC. Becca Kufrin also appeared on the special and confronted Arie, attempting to gain some closure on why he dumped her and why it had to happen on camera after she was tricked into believing they were going on a romantic getaway. Only Becca knows for sure whether or not his explanations were enough to give her closure, but she's already found a way to move on. Becca is slated to star on the next season of The Bachelorette.
The announcement that Becca Kufrin would be the next Bachelorette leading lady was immediately followed by Becca meeting some of the hunky bachelors who would try to win her heart, and she seemed quite enthusiastic about what was in store. Who knows? Maybe she'll have an easier time settling on a winner on The Bachelorette than Arie did on The Bachelor.
The Bachelorette will premiere with Becca as leading lady on May 28 on ABC. For what you can watch in the meantime, take a look at our midseason TV premiere guide. If streaming is more your style, we have a handy 2018 Netflix premiere schedule and a 2018 Amazon premiere guide. If you're not up on the shows that have already gotten the axe, be sure to check out our rundown of TV cancellations and renewals.
