15 Awkward Things About Arie Luyendyk Jr. & Lauren Burnham's Relationship, Including His Ex That Looks Just Like Lauren
Bachelor Season 22's couple Arie Luyendyk Jr. & Lauren Burnham are controversial to say the least.
You don’t have to be an active member of Bachelor Nation to have heard of Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham. They are the highly controversial couple that came out of Season 22 of The Bachelor and they've been turning heads and raising eyebrows ever since they officially became a thing. He's a professional race car driver, she's a sales executive. It was a wild ride getting to where they are but today they are most definitely in love and playing for keeps — all you have to do is look at their Instagram. Whether you love them or hate them, these are 15 cringeworthy new things about Arie Luyendyk Jr. & Lauren Burnham’s relationship.
1. Their beginning happened in an awkward way.
He picked Becca and proposed in the first half of the Bachelor Season 22 finale. Then, he dumped her on camera, and proposed to Lauren in the next half. Taping his breakup and humiliating Becca that way didn’t leave Bachelor Nation feeling warm and fuzzy about his new relationship. Lauren and Arie are working hard to win everyone back, because who doesn't love a good cheering section?
2. Their love even inspired billboards.
Nothing says a new beginning like a billboard calling you out. Billboards started popping up in support of Becca amidst the outpouring of sympathy about how everything went down. It was a sweet gesture of support and definitely got everyone's attention.
3. The state of Minnesota proposed banning Arie over the whole debacle.
Minnesota is totally #TeamBecca and they sealed it with a draft bill to keep him out of her home state. It seems like a motion that would carry in the heat of emotion. Democracy in action, folks! (All in good fun, we're sure.)
4. Arie dumping Becca for Lauren wasn’t a total shocker for Becca.
He was said to have been found liking Lauren’s instagram photos while he and Becca were together which made her uncomfortable. That was probably a red flag in hindsight but when you're really into someone, it's easy to miss that stuff and Becca was obviously quite taken with him. Big hugs, girl!
5. His exes weren’t exactly shocked at his flip-flop, either.
They reportedly dished that he is a cheater so him leaving one girl for the other was seen to be part of his regular pattern. This made what went down not as surprising for them as it was to Bachelor Nation. People change though, right? We really want for this to be a happily-ever-after in the end. Everyone does love a storybook kind of love and Arie & Lauren are no exception.
6. He knows what he likes.
His ex Sydney Stempfley looks a lot like Lauren Burnham and some people say that it’s a little bit creepy. That said, everyone has a type, why should Arie be any different? Sydney and Lauren are both beautiful ladies in their own ways so it's easy to see why he would be attracted to them even without getting to know their personalities. Blondes have more fun, right?
7. Lauren wasn’t the only one he was interacting with post-taping.
Other contestants (cough, Bekah M.) dished that he was DMing them after the show wrapped which didn’t look that great given his last minute flip-flopping between Becca and Lauren. To be fair, it's probably hard to bond so much with people and then just have it be over all of a sudden. They must have had a lot of fun together on set. It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday (come on you totally sang along with that one, admit it.)
8. Lauren was nervous to accept him after his flip-flop.
Can you blame her? She was a little nervous to take him at his word that this was his final answer. She said, "It did take some reassurance, but the fact he was willing to take that risk meant a lot to me." For his part, Arie says, “"I could have done things in a different way, for sure. But ultimately I needed to do what was best for me." Turns out they were both happy in the end and Becca is the next Bachelorette, so hopefully she'll find true love too.
9. They say those three little words A LOT.
Arie says he and Lauren tell each other “I love you” a thousand times a day, but under the circumstances she might need the reassurance. Or it's very exciting to find your soulmate on national television and that kind of thrill is likely overwhelming. They may just be very over-the-top affectionate people, which is pretty rare and awesome. You do you, boos!
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10. They're really into PDA.
They're all over each other all the time and want everyone to know it. Arie & Lauren are really delighting in the novelty of it all and it's magical. Physical attraction is a powerful force and they are clearly drawn to each other. They are positively magnetic. Soak it up!
11. They breached April Fool's Day etiquette.
Arie faked Lauren’s pregnancy as an April Fools joke on social media, pissing people off. His apology didn’t quickly redeem him, either. He likely didn't mean anything by it, like he wouldn't intentionally be hurtful to people, right? Sometimes you just don't think things all the way through, but when you're a celebrity you have an audience. Here's hoping they shake it off and learn from the unfortunate misstep. Everyone makes mistakes; Arie seems to make more than most, though.
12. He might have told a fib.
Arie is accused of lying about an ex girlfriend’s miscarriage to get sympathy. He told Lauren his ex dumped him over the phone when she called to tell him about the miscarriage. His ex says she was at the doctor’s with her when they found out together. However it went down, pregnancy loss is a tough topic and they both have our sympathies for having gone through something so traumatic.
13. They might have made fun of people at the gym together.
Lauren and Arie posted pics of unsuspecting gym patrons while on vacation. This didn’t go over well because it was seen to be scornful, and especially since they were supposed to be on a social media break. Awkward and...mean.
14. They were on a break — or were they?
Arie & Lauren told everyone they would be on a social media break while on vacation in Iceland and Spain but just couldn’t keep away from the limelight, posting regularly on their trip about all their exciting adventures. They later clarified the parameters of their break but people still had questions. In their defense, the trip did look like a ton of fun, how could you resist capturing it?
15. They are hoping for a televised wedding.
Surprising exactly no one, Arie and Lauren are pushing the outer limits of their 15 minutes of fame as a couple, allegedly hoping the network will spring for their wedding if it’s televised. Given what went down at the finale, it might have unexpected twists and turns and make for good television. True love is always a good draw even if everything goes to plan. Either way, we wish them the best of luck as they make things official.
Rumored to be tying the knot this summer, TV special or not, these two will probably have people talking for at least another few months. Whether they fade into obscurity or level up their profile and re-brand after the the show, these 15 cringeworthy things about Arie Luyendyk & Lauren Burnham's relationship definitely make them one of the more memorable Bachelor couples. Congratulations, Arie & Lauren!
Penelope Norton is a freelance writer and celeb gossip columnist who feels like her life is together when her fingers and toes match.