After a shocking fiancee switcheroo on the season finale of "The Bachelor," fans might have expected Arie Luyendyk Jr. to lie low and avoid controversy for a while.
But once again, he's done the unexpected.
On April Fools' Day, the former reality TV star shared a pregnancy announcement on social media, however, there's no bundle of joy on the way for him and partner Lauren Burnham — just a whole lot of backlash.
"Secrets finally out, we have a bunny in the oven!" he wrote alongside a photo of what many assumed was Burnham's baby bump.
But just an hour and a half later, he followed up that announcement with another tweet.
It was all a joke — to him.
Apparently, Luyendyk wasn't aware that for the many potential parents out there struggling with fertility difficulties and pregnancy loss, that type of prank is no laughing matter.
But he had plenty of opportunities to learn that lesson as his Twitter feed blew up with pointed replies.
After receiving harsh criticism and many emotional messages, Luyendyk still played it off as a lighthearted gag when he later offered up an apology.
In an Instagram Stories update, he posted a puffy pancake recipe and wrote, "Sorry if you were offended, but we really are making a Dutch Baby."
On Monday, Luyendyk offered another apology on Twitter: "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 affected personally by my post."
Of course, the 36-year-old is no stranger to social media backlash. It's only been a month since viewers watched Luyendyk dump his first fiancee, Becca Kurfrin, as the cameras rolled and then propose to "Bachelor" runner-up Burnham. Fans weren't shy about telling him what they thought about that.
But Luyendyk could have avoided his social media misstep had he paid attention to the last "Bachelor" couple to play a pregnancy prank for April Fools' Day.
Back in 2015, Sean and Catherine Lowe revealed her so-called baby bump on the big day and received a slew of negative reactions of their own.
As for Luyendyk and Burnham, they hope to make a baby announcement for real one day.
"We’re both very excited about marriage and starting a family," he recently told People. "If we get lucky, maybe we’d have twins!”
