Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Jr. apologizes to those impacted by April Fools' joke
"I do have sympathy for women struggling from infertility," he wrote.
New York -- "The Bachelor" star Arie Luyendyk Jr. has apologized to "women struggling from infertility" after what fans are calling an inappropriate joke on April Fools' Day.
After a joke on Sunday involving a fake pregnancy, Luyendyk tweeted today, "I do have sympathy for women struggling from infertility. My April Fools prank was in no way meant to offend women who struggle with that. I apologize if you were effected [sic] personally by my post."
The post the reality star was apologizing for was when he tagged his now-fiancee, Lauren Burnham, and wrote Sunday, "Secrets finally out, we have a bunny in the oven!"
The picture also had a woman holding her belly, alluding to the alleged fact that she was expecting the couple's first child.
Two hours later, Luyendyk added, "APRIL FOOLS!"
Fans of Bachelor Nation and beyond were not happy with the joke, while others on social media took the joke more seriously, citing problems couples have had trying to conceive and how it's nothing to poke fun at.
"We knew you were lying... just like you lied to Becca about being in love with her," one fan wrote. The fan's comment was referring to previous backlash he faced last month during "The Bachelor" finale, where Luyendyk proposed to Kufrin to end the season, only to break it off with her weeks later to give it another shot with the runner-up Burnham. He then proposed live on "After the Final Rose," and the two have been together ever since.
Others called the joke "distasteful," slamming the star for joking about pregnancy.
"You thought the world was against you before. You just poured gas on that fire. Hopefully you two don’t have to struggle with this issues so many women face each day," One woman wrote in the Twitter chain.
Another online user added, "This is wrong you should be ashamed do you think before you post" and yet another, "How dare you. Pregnancy is not a joke!!"
Luyendyk also posted an apology to his Instagram story, writing, "Sorry if you were offended but we really are making a Dutch Baby" next to a picture of a food recipe.