Arie Luyendyk Jr. became one of the most controversial bachelors in the history of the show during the Monday, March 5, finale, when he proposed to Becca Kufrin only to break things off a few weeks later — and admit that he was still in love with his runner-up, Lauren Burnham. So why propose to begin with?
“Becca was always all over Arie and he never seemed as into her, despite what the cameras made it seem like,” an insider exclusively tells Us Weekly. “Becca was Arie’s safe bet to pick and Lauren would have been a risk. Obviously he fell in love with Lauren but Becca was the safer choice.”
During his final date with Lauren, it seemed that the 36-year-old’s mind was made up. “I don’t think Arie would have let me tell him all of those things about how much I care about him and talk about our future all day if he knew he was picking Becca,” Burnham, 25, told cameras during their date — and Arie seemed to feel the same, appearing so happy while cuddling with her.
“This is all I’ve ever wanted from her since the moment I fell in love with her,” he said. “If I had to propose this second, it would be her, right now. Lauren could be my wife. I feel really good about us, and I love her.”’
Of course, he did end up choosing Becca, but couldn’t get Lauren out of his head. When he blindsided Becca and ended things, he even told her that he went to bed and woke up thinking about Lauren. “I thought that heartbreak would go away and it just never went away. And I don’t think it’s fair to be half in with you,” he said before Becca demanded that he leave. “I think for me, the more I hung out with you, the more I felt like I was losing the possibility of maybe reconciling things with Lauren.”
Arie will sit down with Becca and Lauren on the live After the Final Rose special on ABC Tuesday, March 6, at 8 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Emily Marcus.
