Controversial ‘Bachelor’ Couple Embraces Anniversary: ‘Our Very Own T-Swift Love Story’

Married couple

Pixabay A couple celebrates getting married.

Every couple that comes out of “The Bachelor” franchise has both supporters and critics. That was definitely the case for Arie Luyendyk, Jr. and his now-wife Lauren Burnham Luyendyk after their controversial ending. When his season aired in 2018, Arie took Becca Kufrin and Lauren to the final two. He presented Kufrin with his final rose and proposed, but that was not the end of their story. Within weeks, he was having regrets about choosing Kufrin, and before the finale aired, he had split with his fiancee and reunited with Lauren. During the “After the Final Rose,” Arie proposed to Lauren in front of cameras, and the two got married in January 2019. The couple just celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary, and naturally, they took to Instagram to recognize the big day.

Here’s what you need to know:


Lauren Luyendyk Revisited the Shock of Her On-Air Proposal

On January 12, Lauren shared a video montage and caption about the anniversary on her Instagram page. As “The Bachelor” fans may remember, it was a truly dramatic “ATFR” episode, and quite a few of the former contestants there to support Kufrin were stunned to watch Arie propose to Lauren. The video Lauren shared recapped the stunning moment, showing still shots of contestants such as Bekah Martinez and Tia Booth along with Arie and Lauren kissing after the proposal. Lauren used Taylor Swift’s song “Speak Now” to go with the shots and wrote, “Our very own t-swift love story. happy 4 year anniversary babe,” in the caption.

Gates quickly commented on Lauren’s post, as did some other “Bachelor Nation” personalities. “I’m glad everyone was wrong about you guys! Including myself in the very beginning,” Gates admitted.

“LOL to be fair I supported from day 1,” Booth commented.

Reddit had some fun with Lauren’s post too.

“I mean, this is pretty funny. For all the criticism they faced at the time, good for her,” noted one Redditor.

“My appreciation for her just went significantly up, this is MASTERFUL,” added another.

“Don’t like either of them but I have to give her, this was hilarious,” admitted someone else.


‘The Bachelor’ Couple Is in ‘Such a Good Place’ Now

Lauren posted in honor of her anniversary the next day too. The photo showed her on a boat with Arie, and she admitted they had “such an amazing time unwinding the last few days w/ my best friend.” The former “Bachelor” star added, “happy 4 years together & to an eternity more… love you!!” “Bachelor Nation” chimed in on both of Lauren’s posts, gushing over the couple. A handful of people noted they’d run across rumors the couple had separated and made it clear they hoped that wasn’t true. Arie and Lauren have never signaled that was the case, nor have any reputable media outlets.

“Happy Anniversary!! Such a classy couple and wonderful parents,” shared one fan.

“Happy Anniversary… So funny how the stupid blogs and posts keep saying you’re getting divorced. I didn’t believe it for ONE SECOND! Y’all are #relationshipgoals!” added another fan.

A few days before Lauren’s anniversary posts, Arie shared some photos on Instagram that included the kids. “Most incredible week with the babies. In such a good place as a family and making the best memories together!” Since getting married, Arie and Lauren have welcomed three kids: Alessi, as well as twins Lux and Senna. Despite navigating a lot of drama and negativity to end up together, Arie and Lauren seem to be living their best lives now, and their fans are thrilled for them.