Multiple sources confirm to ET that the reality star called off his engagement to the woman he proposed to during the finale a few weeks after filming wrapped.
Arie Luyendyk Jr. definitely found love on this season of The Bachelor -- but not with the woman he proposed to during the finale!
Multiple sources confirmed to ET that the reality star called off his engagement to his season 22 pick (which will be revealed next week on ABC) more than a month after filming wrapped. He and the runner-up who he'd sent home are now together as a couple.
After Monday night's episode, fans know that Arie ultimately ends up with either Becca Kufrin or Lauren Burnham, but one thing's for sure, what went down is sure to be one of the most complicated stories in Bachelor history.
A source tells ET that Arie first reached out to the runner-up when the show premiered in January, while he was still with the woman he proposed to. They had emotional conversations, and the source says that just a few weeks after, he broke up with his fiancée.
However, there's no bad blood between the ladies who competed for Arie's heart this season. An additional source tells ET that all of the women have stayed friends and do not blame the runner-up for what happened -- "they blame Arie."
"There's not a rift between Becca and Lauren. Arie put them in this situation," the source says. "They're very different but both well-liked by all the women, and both of them really cared for Arie. He said 'I love you' to them both, and it really seems like he did it more to get his own emotions affirmed. A lot of the women feel he's selfish."
Obviously, a lot of drama has occurred since the finale was filmed in November. So what will happen during the live After the Final Rose on Tuesday?
"Becca and Lauren will handle themselves really well. They're class acts," the source explains. "For Arie, it's going to be a bloodbath. A lot of the women don't think his playboy tendencies have gone away. Will he last with anyone?"
And according to a third source, "The women are ready to grill Arie on After the Final Rose." Arie, Becca and Lauren will all be there, along with Kendall, Tia, Seinne and Bekah.
"[The woman Arie dumped] didn’t expect it at all," the source reveals, telling ET that there's still no word on who will become the next Bachelorette, or if she'll even be from Arie's season. "[The season 22 winner] totally felt blindsided, and it's sad because she's a great person. She's such a pure soul."
Although it sounds like the women have no problems with each other, a fourth source tells us that things have naturally gotten a bit awkward between them, considering the situation at hand. "There's a group chat that's gotten quiet," the source says.
If this storyline seems familiar, it's because something similar happened once before, on Jason Mesnick's season of The Bachelor in 2009. He, too, had second thoughts on who he proposed to. Mesnick originally asked Melissa Rycroft to be his wife, but later called off the engagement to be with his now-wife, runner-up Molly Malaney. They share two kids together, daughter Riley and son Ty.
In 2016, Mesnick told ET he woudn't recommend reality TV to his children: "Everybody's gonna make their own decisions, and I have no regrets obviously because I built a great family from it, but at the same time, you go through a lot to build that family."
To find out what happens between Arie, Becca and Lauren, be sure to tune into the three-hour season finale of The Bachelor next Monday, followed by a live two-hour special of After the Final Rose, airing next Tuesday on ABC.
In the meantime, watch the video below to hear what season standout Bekah Martinez had to say about Arie when she stopped by ET's studio in Los Angeles earlier this week for an exclusive interview. She doesn't hold back, and also doesn't think Arie and the woman he ultimately chose will stay together; find out why!
-- Reporting by Lauren Zima
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