Arie Luyendyk Jr. Hits Back at ‘The Bachelor’ With Claims of Unfair Editing

Arie Luyendyk Jr. is pushing back against his portrayal as the titular role on ABC‘s The Bachelor.

The Bachelor has received a lot of flak this season for what fans have called a charmless and boring personality. The hasn’t helped his reputation as the “Kissing Bandit” either, showing him constantly locking lips with almost all of the women who are vying for his attention.

But Arie is contending this is all the result of a bad edit, clapping back in the comment section for an ABC promo for the last two episodes of his season.

“Overheard on The Bachelor,” the promo video begins. “‘I love you.’ (x3).”

It’s then that footage from the upcoming episodes plays, in which Arie tells contestants Becca Kufrin and Lauren Burnham that he loves them, while telling Kendall Long, “I’m falling for you.”

Arie apparently thought the promo was a step too far in misrepresenting him, commenting, “First the editing [department] and now the social account? What’s with the shade @bachelorabc?! Oh and FYI I didn’t say I love you to 3 women, listen to your own clip!”

This, in addition to Arie’s sudden emergence of a backbone against season Krystal Nielson during the Women Tell All special Sunday, converted some fans of the dating show to Arie lovers.

“Now you finally show some personality!” one commented.

“ARIE IS THROWING SHADE AT THE BACHELOR?” another added. “I AM HERE FOR THIS.”

“Woof. Maybe he’s not terrible and the editing is against him?” a third chimed in.

But others thought that the race car driver deserves every bit of shade the show can throw at him, alluding to the dramatic ending that some spoiler sites have reported.

“They’re always quick to blame the editing. The ending of the show will show what kind of guy you are…no wonder they’re throwing shade at you,” one person said.

“Don’t act like you don’t know why they’re shading you,” another said.

There is only one episode of the dating show before the dramatic finale. Monday, Arie, Kendall, Becca and Lauren will travel to Peru together, but only three people will be moving on to the finale.

But there’s a darker side to the ending, as contestant Caroline Luddy alluded to during Sunday’s Women Tell All special.

“I know what you did and I don’t know how you could do that,” she told Arie angrily, “and I just really don’t understand…but I really hope you found what you’re looking for.”

On stage, Arie didn’t really address Caroline’s comments in depth, only saying, “I think that will play out in the weeks to come.”

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo Credit: ABC