Much like Arie Luyendyk Jr.‘s personality throughout his season of The Bachelor, his April Fool’s Day joke fell flat.
The former ‘Bachelor’ star managed to piss off a large number of his followers when he posted a photo to his social media accounts on Sunday of his fiance Becca Kufrin Lauren Burnham sticking her belly out while wearing a cocktail dress, along with the caption, “Secrets finally out, we have a bunny in the oven!” (Sunday was also Easter, hence the ‘bunny’ reference.)
Secrets finally out, we have a bunny in the oven! @laurenburnham91 pic.twitter.com/Mmx50ePDaB
— Arie Luyendyk Jr. (@ariejr) April 1, 2018
Although he tagged Lauren in the post, she did not actually repost it herself. ‘Bachelor’ fans sensed that Arie was attempting to make an April Fool’s joke and that Lauren (who had been drinking on social media just days ago) was not really pregnant.
Even ‘Bachelor’ guru Reality Steve commented on Arie’s “joke.”
“This is a joke,” Reality Steve tweeted. “And a horrible one at that. But then again, look at who you’re dealing with. The replies to this tweet are all you need to know what people think of this bad April Fools joke.”
Eventually, Arie revealed that his post was a joke and that Lauren was not pregnant. He later apologized (sort of), writing on social media, “Sorry if you were offended but we really are making a Dutch baby.” He then posted photos of a recipe for a “Dutch Baby” dessert.
Apparently Arie never got the memo that it’s no longer appropriate to fake pregnancies for April Fool’s Day, but his followers scolded him for being so insensitive to those struggling with infertility and miscarriages.
“This just in: If Arie and Lauren weren’t already the most hated couple in bachelor history, they certainly are now! Come on dude, do you live under a rock?!” one person tweeted to Arie.
“Hope this isn’t a joke, a lot of people cannot have children, have lost a baby, struggle with infertility. This is cruel April Fools Day joke if a joke,” another Twitter follower wrote.
One person even reminded Arie that his pal, Sean Lowe, and his wife Catherine Guidici once attempted this same April Fool’s Day joke…and got racked over the coals for it.
“Well that backfired, guys. Any PR team would’ve told you not to do this. Or Sean and Catherine — did the same thing years ago and it backfired,” the person tweeted.
On Monday (after he had been ripped by numerous media outlets and social media followers), Arie finally made a real apology.
“I do have sympathy for women struggling from infertility,” Arie tweeted. “My April Fools prank was in no way meant to offend women who struggle with that. I apologize if you were effected personally by my post.”
(Photos: ABC, Twitter, Instagram)
If you care this much about people you don’t know personally, you need to check your priorities.
I can’t stand Arie but as someone who had had to go through 8 rounds of IVF to have my children I also don’t think it is offensive or insensitive.
It’s not funny, but it’s also not really a big deal. People are making way too much of this, and shouldn’t be personalizing things that random tv assholes do. Anyone looking for reasons to be offended will find no shortage of them.
Or karma can come around like it did for my mom 32 years ago and you find out the next month you really are pregnant….
The pregnancy joke is old and play out. Try something new. However, how is it truly insensitive? One person has no affect on another’s infertility. Someone can’t live their own life without offending someone else these days. I guess you can’t talk about your own kids around an infertile couple anymore? Give me a break.
It is not a joke. It isnt even a joke between a husband and wife. I dont think its insensitive. I had a miscarriage and i am pregnant again now. If i happen to have another miscarriage i still wouldnt find it insensitive. All around though it was stupid but ahe shouldnt have to go through being hated on. She shouldve kept everything off social media anyway. Thats all people care about nowadays. Being popular online.
God people are way to sensitive. My god..
Never heard of a Dutch baby recipe though. And I’m Dutch.
Is the picture not even of his fiancee then? Because how is she that tiny and able to puff out her belly that much?
not a funny joke, yeah it was lame, but holy shit, faking a pregnancy is offensive now? lighten the fuck up. people are allowed to joke around.
Aside from It being insensitive, it’s not even a funny joke. It’s unoriginal, overused, and really lazy. Come up with something that’s actually funny. It’s not that hard.
PS: his apology is shit. He didn’t even apologize for it. He apologized for the fact that he may have offended people, but there is no regret there. I don’t even watch the bachelor, but fuck these two.