Sydney Stempfley is speaking her truth.
The Bachelor‘s 22nd season is already causing drama as it seems the hunky new lead, named Arie Luyendyk Jr., is a bit of a fuck boy. Although we already uncovered some telling evidence, the show’s latest star’s ex is now opening up about her recent relationship with the race car driver/real estate agent.
Related: The First Promo With Arie As The Bachelor Is HERE!
Oh, and like the rest of America, Arie’s former flame was “blindsided” by his Bachelor casting announcement.
So how exactly did Sydney and Arie meet?? During a chat with Entertainment Tonight, Miz Stempfley shared:
“We started talking in January 2016, just through direct message. We kind of talked off and on just through Instagram, but I landed a job in Scottsdale after graduating [Miami University in Ohio]. I flew out to search for apartments, so I messaged Arie and I told him that I would be in the area and he asked me out on our first date…We hit it off right away and started dating as soon as I moved here. To my knowledge, the relationship was monogamous.”
Well, well. Looks like even the Bachelor likes to slip into people’s DMs.
The pair’s first date took place in July 2016 and they even celebrated their one-year dating anniversary at the restaurant where they first met up. Things appeared to be serious between the two as they met each other’s families. Not to mention, Sydney and Arie were kind of living together too.
She continued:
“I attended all of his family holidays including Thanksgiving and Christmas… My family was head over heels about him,. They thought he was very charming and very sweet and they really liked him. [Arie and I] traveled together and I went to his races to support him. And he also actually lived with me for a few months while he rented out his house back at the beginning of the year… He typically rented it out during race season, so he was kind of gone a lot. But when he was in town he stayed with me and he asked [if he could].”
However, a few weeks before his Bachelor announcement, Luyendyk and Stempfley broke up. Specifically, the duo called it quits on July 31. In regards to their split, Sydney dished:
“The night before the breakup, we hung a light fixture together, made beef stew and I slept over. Everything was normal! The next day, we had plans after I got off work. It was just a regular day, so it definitely caught me by surprise. It was over the phone originally, just out of the heat of an argument, just a small argument. But then I went over to his place and we discussed it further and that’s kind of when it happened [for good] — it was in person.
It was very emotional. You know, you’re trying to get answers and you can’t. I couldn’t really get a definite answer … I’ve never seen him cry, ever. I could tell that he was emotional, but there wasn’t tears on his end.”
Oof. Tough break. To make matters worse, the blonde stunner discovered her ex was going to be the next Bachelor thanks to Good Morning America. Apparently, prior to the big reveal, Sydney asked Arie if he was being considered for season 22.
She continued:
“Backing up, I saw Arie’s name being tossed around on Twitter, suggesting he should become the next Bachelor. So I texted him for the first time in awhile, exactly four days before the announcement on Labor Day, and I said, ‘Are you awake?’ And he called me within a minute or two. I asked him, ‘If you were becoming the next Bachelor, would you at least have the decency to tell me?’ and he said, ‘Yes, of course,’ and then proceeded to tell me that he hadn’t been contacted by producers, so he doubts that would even be a possibility.
So, when I found out he was becoming the next Bachelor a month after our break up, I’m sure you can imagine that I was completely blindsided.”
Oh, Arie, noooooo. Per Sydney, she “would like to think” The Bachelor had nothing to do with her breakup. Hmmm, we have our doubts about that.
Ironically, Stempfley applied to be a contestant on The Bachelor as a way to get over her heartbreak. Arie had not been informed of her decision to apply. The 26-year-old receptionist relayed:
“I applied just about a week or so ago actually, not too long ago. I leaned on my girlfriends for support through this time and at one point they suggested that I apply for the show. It had never really crossed my mind but I decided to do [it]. So I actually only submitted an online application. I didn’t get around to making a video, so I wasn’t far into the process.”
While ABC has yet to invite Sydney onto the show, she has claimed that she’s has thought about whether or not she’d appear on the program now that Arie’s the lead. Understandably, the young lady has many questions:
“I would need to think it through before coming up with a definite answer. But I do feel like I have questions, of course, [like], ‘Is this the reason? [Is this] why you broke up with me?’ That’s probably my biggest question.”
At the end of the day, Sydney is just looking for some closure as Arie “led [her] to believe that he loved [her] too. To be fair, the former love birds never actually exchanged “I love yous.” Eek.
As for the women who plan to vie for Luyendyk’s heart, Sydney simply wishes them “good luck” as her ex is a “great guy.” Sureeeee he is…
[Image via Instagram.]