Arie Luyendyk Jr. Reveals Shocking Change of Heart After ‘Bachelor’ Proposal

Arie Luyendyk Jr. is now the most hated man in Bachelor Nation.

After proposing to Becca Kufrin in The Bachelor finale, the race car driver had a change of heart, leaving his fiancé behind for runner-up Lauren Burnham, a move first coined in season 13 by Jason Mesnick.

It’s a move that Chris Harrison said has made him the “most controversial Bachelor of all time,” but that the reality show host insists was done in the pursuit of love.

While whisperings of what Arie had done have been circulating in the fandom for months, the truth was officially revealed in Monday’s After the Final Rose special.

After airing home footage of Arie and Becca cuddling up and enjoying their engagement, Arie revealed what he’d been thinking.

“After Peru, we talked about moving to Arizona and what our lives would be like after this,” Arie said in a confessional. “But sometimes when I’m doing these little getaways with Becca, I think about what they would be like with Lauren.”

“I go to bed and I think about Lauren, I wake up and I think about Lauren,” he continued.

With Becca, Arie said he feels “an immense amount of guilt” because he’s putting her second.

“It kills me going back on that, but I have to follow my heart,” he said, adding he can’t be “half in a relationship.”

“I know this is not going to be a popular decision,” he continued, “but it’s worth it for me, because I love Lauren.”

For some reason, Arie informed Chris about his plans to break up with Becca before he told his own fiancé, leading to a heartbreaking, unedited break-up on national television.

“You know that I’ve been struggling a little bit, and I think over the past couple times we’ve been hanging out I’ve been trying to sort my feelings out and trying to grasp this whole thing,” he told her. “And the reality is that being with you, even though it’s been everything I wanted, I still think about her, and I think you sense that.”

Looking confused, hurt and upset, Becca responded, “Are you f—ing kidding me?”

“I wanna take the risk and see if there’s a possibility with her,” Arie said.

“I don’t even know what to say right now,” she said. “What did I do wrong?”

After storming off, declaring herself “done,” Becca quickly got to packing her things, while Arie awkwardly followed behind.

“I’m not like, gonna hug you goodbye,” Becca said as Arie hovered near her. “I want you to go.”

Refusing to leave until Becca spoke with him, Arie confronted his crying ex, who admitted to being “embarrassed,” having been broken up with on national TV.

“I’m feeling my future was ripped away,” she said, sobbing. “Like I love you, and I obviously want you to be happy if it’s not me, but I can’t imagine my life without you.”

Arie eventually leaves his ex behind, presumably to pursue a chance with Lauren, but fans will have to tune in Tuesday to see what goes down.

The second half of the After the Final Rose special airs Tuesday, March 6 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo Credit: ABC