Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham Face Backlash Over Pregnancy April Fools' Day Joke
Arie Luyendyk Jr. is facing backlash after joking that his fiancée Lauren Burnham is pregnant in an April Fools’ day prank.
Days after the pair celebrated that Burnham, 25, is moving to Scottsdale, Arizona, to live with Luyendyk Jr., the former Bachelor, 36, announced that the couple was pregnant with their first child.
“Secrets finally out, we have a bunny in the oven! @laurenburnham91,” he wrote on social media, alongside an image of a woman, who appeared to be Burnham, clutching what looked like a baby bump.
After over an hour, Luyendyk Jr. responded to his own photo, writing, “APRIL FOOLS!”
Secrets finally out, we have a bunny in the oven! @laurenburnham91 pic.twitter.com/Mmx50ePDaB
— Arie Luyendyk Jr. (@ariejr) April 1, 2018
APRIL FOOLS!
— Arie Luyendyk Jr. (@ariejr) April 1, 2018
However, some on social media quickly spoke up to tell Luyendyk Jr. that many don’t find jokes about pregnancy funny.
“You both are disgusting. As someone who struggles with fertility and would love nothing more than to have a baby this is so offensive,” wrote one social media user.
Another wrote, “Come on. be better than that. it’s not a joke for many struggling families to get pregnant, it’s extremely expensive and it’s heartbreaking. I wish nothing but the best for Arie and Lauren but this is not funny, it’s cruel.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12.1% percent of women between the ages of 15 to 44 struggle with infertility.
come on. be better than that. it's not a joke for many struggling families to get pregnant, it's extremely expensive and it's heartbreaking. I wish nothing but the best for Arie and Lauren but this is not funny, it's cruel
— Katie (@kedixo) April 1, 2018
If this is a joke. It’s very poor taste. But you don’t have a good track record on decision making
— Caleb Vankirk (@CVankirk_85) April 1, 2018
This just in: If Arie and Lauren weren’t already the most hated couple in bachelor history, they certainly are now! Come on dude, do you live under a rock?! pic.twitter.com/uanOHKdTKU
— Lindsay Jo Ann (@LindsayB33) April 1, 2018
Shame on y’all for this. So many women are trying everything they can to conceive and then you joke about this? It’s just really in poor taste.. A “we eloped” photo would have been much more appropriate.
— Ariel Amedee (@arielamedee) April 1, 2018
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The reality star appeared to address the backlash, sharing a photo of a recipe on his Instagram story and writing, “Sorry if you were offended, but we really are making a Dutch Baby.”
RELATED: Road Trip! Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Lauren Burnham Are Making the Big Move to Arizona
While Luyendyk Jr. and Burnham — who got engaged after the Bachelor broke off his engagement to Becca Kufrin — haven’t started their family quite yet, the pair have both spoken about how much they’re looking forward to having children together.
“We’re both very excited about marriage and starting a family,” Burnham previously told PEOPLE.
In fact, Luyendyk Jr. says he wants two to four kids.
“If we get lucky, maybe we’d have twins!” he added.
