The hashtag documenting Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s decision to break up with his final pick Becca Kufrin and return to runner-up Lauren Burnham, which aired March 5, 2018. The unedited 28-minute breakup scene became one of the franchise’s most uncomfortable and controversial moments, with Arie repeatedly saying “I love that” while devastating Becca.
The Unedited Breakup
Racing driver Arie Luyendyk Jr., son of Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk Sr., had been Bachelor runner-up on Emily Maynard’s 2012 Bachelorette season before getting his own Bachelor season in 2018. He proposed to publicist Becca Kufrin in the season finale, sending home Lauren Burnham. But weeks later, Arie realized he’d made a mistake and wanted Lauren back.
In an unprecedented move, ABC filmed Arie breaking up with Becca in her Los Angeles apartment without her prior knowledge. The cameras captured 28 minutes of raw footage with minimal editing: Arie explaining his change of heart, Becca processing shock and betrayal, long silences, and Arie’s refusal to leave despite Becca’s requests for privacy. His repeated verbal tic “I love that” while discussing his feelings for Lauren—while dumping Becca—became instantly mocked as tone-deaf cruelty.
Franchise Villain Status
The breakup aired as an uncut special episode on March 5, 2018, shocking viewers with its uncomfortably voyeuristic nature. Becca’s tearful confusion and Arie’s seeming obliviousness to her pain made him Bachelor franchise’s most hated lead. Social media exploded with fury at both Arie’s decision and ABC’s choice to film such private devastation. The hashtag #ArieSucks trended alongside #TeamBecca.
ABC rewarded Becca by making her the next Bachelorette (Season 14, 2018), where she found redemption and got engaged to Garrett Yrigoyen. Arie married Lauren in 2019 and they had three children, claiming vindication for following his heart. The switcheroo set a precedent that Bachelor engagements were essentially meaningless, accelerating the franchise’s transformation from marriage show to influencer launching pad. The unedited breakup remains reality TV’s gold standard for uncomfortable, can’t-look-away cringe.
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