Twitter followers took the 'Bachelor' to task for trivializing pregnancy on April Fool's Day.
Arie Luyendyk Jr. may want to just take a break from social media.
The 36-year-old race car driver is already reviled by many for the way he handled his final decision as The Bachelor -- proposing to contestant Becca Kufrin only to change his mind a few weeks later, un-propose to her and then propose to runner-up Lauren Burnham in a shocking finale. Fans reacted with shock and anger at how he handled it all, with Minnesota State Rep. jokingly (we think) drafting a bill to ban Luyendyk from entering the state.
His Twitter "joke" on Sunday didn't do much to change those opinions.
"Secrets finally out, we have a bunny in the oven! @laurenburnham91," Liyendyk wrote in a post on Twitter, accompanied by a what looks like a baby bump.
There were a smattering of congratulations from fans. And then, 90 minutes later, he followed up with two words: "APRIL FOOLS!"
Bad move, Arie.
The joke landed about as well as his actions on The Bachelor's finale, with many criticizing him for being insensitive and trivializing the difficulties some couples have in conceiving.
A sampling of the criticism:
Arie did have his defenders, of course, with some saying the critics were being oversensitive or unable to take a joke. But it's pretty clear he hasn't gained any new fans with his latest bait-and-switch.
Kufrin, meanwhile, is riding high despite being spurned on the show. She's had actual billboards erected to offer her support and is already filming her next foray into reality TV dating as the next Bachelorette.
For a robust discussion of who the worst Bachelor ever is, watch the video below.
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