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'Bachelor' Fans Have Met Arie's Parents Before

by Kathleen Walsh

Arie Luyendyk Jr. was on The Bachelorette so long ago that you may have forgotten all about his time on the show — including his awkward hometown date. Luckily I am here to answer your questions about him and his family. So who are Arie's parents on The Bachelor? Well, I would give this advice to any woman hoping to make it down the aisle with this handsome stud: learn Dutch. Because Arie's family will definitely be speaking Dutch around you and it will be easier if you know what they're saying.

Arie himself was born in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands to his Dutch parents, which explains the Dutch speaking. His parents, incidentally, have been married for decades which sets quite a precedent for anybody hoping to enter the family. Arie also has several younger siblings, including twin brothers Alec and Luca as well as a sister named Miada. One of his two younger brothers recently got married, which may have encouraged Arie to want to tie the knot himself. But none of the family (potentially including even Arie Jr.) is as famous as their patriarch, Arie Luyendyk Sr. If you're into racing cars, there is a good chance you've heard of this guy before since he's kind of a big deal in the scene.

Arie Luyendyk Sr. was born and raised in the Netherlands, where his father owned an auto shop. That's where Arie Sr. first developed his passion for the sport of racing. He quickly made a name for himself in Europe, winning several prestigious championships in the 1970s. He moved on (with Arie Jr.'s mother) to the United States in the 1980s. With long-flowing locks and lanky good looks, Arie's dad eventually became known as the "Flying Dutchman" because, obviously. He went on to win the Indy 500 two times in his illustrious racing career. It's little wonder that Arie Jr. wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and start his own racing career. However, now it seems like Arie has put his racing days (mostly) behind him, embarking on a new career in real estate and searching for his soul mate.

As for Arie's mom, Mieke Luyendyk, well there's not quite as much information readily available about her. In fact, all that there is really to know about her is what was said during Arie's hometown date way back in 2012 when he was still hoping to win Emily Maynard's heart. In the date she revealed that the first time she came to the United States was right after her wedding, in what could generously be called a honeymoon. "Not a very sexy honeymoon, just a couple of races," Arie's dad said in the episode, chuckling. But more important that Mieke's honeymoon is the fact that she clearly doesn't mess around when it comes to her son.

Soon after this little banter was concluded, Mieke began questioning Arie in Dutch, which poor Emily Maynard didn't understand. "How's it going?" she asked him, to which he responded that it's going great. "You think so?" she asked again, and Arie reiterated that he thinks Emily is wonderful before telling everyone to speak English. From a personal standpoint, I know exactly how Emily felt during this moment. I have had an embarrassing number of dates whose parents spoke a language I didn't speak, and who would speak in that language in front of me, generally about me, and almost always on purpose.

Hey, maybe Mieke wasn't trying to be rude or intimidate Emily at all. But even so, I hope the two lucky ladies who make it to Arie's final date are ready for whatever comes their way.

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