Bachelor Nation isn’t done with Arie Luyendyk Jr. just yet.
After the former race car driver broke Bachelorette Becca Kufrin’s heart during his season of The Bachelor, proposing to her before breaking things off and proposing to runner-up Lauren Burnham, she’s been working to move on from her public heartbreak.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Having revealed that she is currently engaged to one of her Bachelorette suitors, Kufrin appears to have done just that. But she hadn’t seen the last of Luyendyk Jr. at the After the Final Rose special.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Kufrin revealed the Arizona real estate agent will appear on her ongoing season of the ABC dating show.
“He will show up, yes,” she said. “We do have a conversation and you’ll just have to see that unfold. At that point it wasn’t emotional, it was just two adults sitting down, wishing each other the best and talking through our experiences. That was our last conversation we’ve had. I knew that would probably be the last time we had a conversation, and I wish him and Lauren the best.”
Luyendyk Jr. and Burnham made headlines earlier this week when the former Bachelor revealed he felt manipulated by producers during his breakup with Kufrin, slamming the show’s claims that the footage was unedited. But Kufrin denies there was much of the production team whispering in his ear during the uncomfortable exchange.
“His actions were his own,” Kufrin said. “I don’t think production really had a hand in how long he stayed or didn’t stay. I explicitly said ‘leave’ and ‘get out,’ and he could have if he wanted to. He’s a grown adult.”
Kufrin says there were moments during her season that were actually more difficult than the split from her then-fiance. “I clearly was heartbroken by Arie and that was hard, but what’s hard for me is having to break somebody [else’s] heart,” she said. “It was difficult being in this position, kind of having that power to say goodbye and to hurt people.”
In a promo for the season that aired at the end of Monday night’s premiere, Kufrin could be seen telling her suitors that she wanted nothing but honesty from them. She added that was a theme for her throughout the season: “I didn’t want what happened with Arie to happen again.”
Just days before her premiere, Luyendyk and Burnham announced they have already set a wedding date and will marry in January 2019 during an untelevised ceremony.
After all they’ve been through, would Kufrin attend?
“If they [invited] me I probably would,” she said. “I would want to support them. Lauren and I were friends when we were together. I mean, if there was an open bar and I got that invite — hopefully, I can get a plus one!”
The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Photo credit: ABC
