‘The Bachelor’ 2018: Arie Luyendyk Jr. & Lauren Burnham Met Before Appearing On Reality TV, Reports ‘Us’

The Bachelor 2018 has come to a dramatic end, and fans are still buzzing about what happened during the finale and in the months following. As many viewers already know, Arie Luyendyk Jr. proposed to Becca Kufrin during the finale, but two months later, he had a “change of heart” and decided that he would much rather be with the runner-up, Lauren Burnham. On Tuesday, during the After the Final Rose show, Arie came face to face with Becca for the first time since their split and later proposed to Lauren.

According to a March 7 report by Us Weekly Magazine, Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham actually met years before coming together on The Bachelor. Sources reveal that long before dating on reality TV, Lauren met Arie at a race in Dallas. The two spent about 10 minutes together and even took a photo of the meeting.

When Burnham found out that Luyendyk Jr. was named as The Bachelor she made sure to bring the photo from their encounter to the mansion with her. During the first night, Lauren Burnham whipped out the photograph to show Arie Luyendyk Jr., which delighted him.

“Oh my gosh, I remember you,” Arie reportedly told Lauren after seeing the snapshot.

On Tuesday night, the Bachelor stars made their relationship official by getting engaged on live television. Arie Luyendyk Jr. got down on one knee and popped the question to Lauren Burnham, which he admits he should have done in the first place, instead of breaking Becca Kufrin’s heart by calling off their engagement.

However, things seem to be working out for Arie, Lauren, and Becca. Kufrin has officially been named the star of The Bachelorette for next season. Becca revealed that she is thrilled to start her new journey as she looks for love among the men that ABC has chosen to bring on the show. Becca says that she’s looking for someone loyal, honest, and funny to share her life with, and fans are hoping that her ex-boyfriend of seven years, Ross, won’t show up this time to try and stop an engagement.

The Bachelorette is set to begin airing in May. Meanwhile, Bachelor star Arie Luyendyk Jr. and new fiance Lauren Burnham reveal that they’re taking a long vacation before moving in together in Arie’s home state of Arizona as they try to escape all of the drama the season has brought to them.