'Bachelor' Alum Arie Luyendyk Jr. Says He Had a 'Rough' COVID-19 Battle Over Thanksgiving
The reality star had to keep his distance from his wife and their 1-year-old daughter.
Arie Luyendyk Jr. spent Thanksgiving distanced from his family. The 39-year-old former Bachelor took to his Instagram Story over the holiday weekend to lament the "rough" time he's had after testing positive for COVID-19 and having to isolate on "the other side of the house" from his wife, Lauren Burnham, and their 1-year-old daughter, Alessi.
"Many of you have been wondering why we haven't done Bachelor Brunch, why we've been so absent on social media and why I'm sitting like 25 feet away from the girls," Luyendyk Jr. said, according to multiple outlets. "It's 'cause I actually tested positive for COVID."
"It's been rough," he added. "I gotta say, it's not been easy being separated."
Despite the challenges of being distanced, Luyendyk Jr. praised his wife for being "really sweet."
"She's keeping me fed," he said. "She just slides some food outside and then I go get it."
Luyendyk Jr. also shared a video showing of how he and his family were able to eat Thanksgiving dinner together, with him seated at one end of a long table outside and his wife and daughter at the other.
Meanwhile, Burnham shared a sweet selfie with Alessi and explained why her husband was absent from the pic.
"Thankful for family," she wrote. "@ariejr would be in this pic too, but he has COVID so kisses and pics through windows only for now. lol hope you guys are having a great Thanksgiving! xo"
The following day, Luyendyk Jr. revealed he was going to get a rapid COVID-19 test to determine if he was clear to get within six feet of his family again. That particular test, Luyendyk Jr. said, was "really hard to come by," so he shelled out $125 to get tested by an independent lab.
Though he did not share how his test came back, Luyendyk Jr. posted videos to his Instagram Story on Sunday that showed him picking out a Christmas tree with his family.
Watch the video below for more with the Bachelor alum.
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