Former Bachelor and Bachelorette producer Julie LaPlaca is detailing her “love-hate relationship” with Hannah Brown in her debut memoir, The Love Producer.
“I think every relationship and every person that comes into your life is there to help you grow and elevate yourself and teach you something about yourself,” Julie, 41, told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting the book, published on Tuesday, July 7. “I’s not just romantic relationships. I think Hannah — through the highs and lows, and through now reflecting on it all — it really helped me learn a lot about myself.”
If Julie could say one thing to Hannah, 31, the former producer would thank her “for the lessons.” The pair have “never” had the chance to sit down and talk, however, though Julie said she is open to the idea.
Julie became the hit reality TV show’s lead producer for the first time in 2019 during Hannah’s Bachelorette season. She told Us that the “emotions” and “drama” that occurred while filming made the entire production “intense.”
Now that she’s “removed from it” all, Julie said she is able to see The Bachelorette in a different light — and it explains her initial feelings for Hannah.
“For a while, I think I sat in, almost, a little jealousy and envy of, like, ‘Gosh, look what I’ve helped them become.’ What about me?” she explained. “What I so admire now about looking back, and the way Hannah carried herself is that she just would allow herself to fully unleash and be real and get angry.”
Julie added, “She really was a mirror for me, and even my younger self. … Here I am now at 41 years old, finally fully embracing my truth. I’m grateful for my whole experience with her and how it led me to seeing parts of myself that perhaps I wasn’t willing to look at then, but finally have now.”
Keep scrolling for everything Julie wrote about Hannah in The Love Producer:
Julie LaPlaca’s Hope for Hannah Brown’s ‘Bachelorette’ Season
Julie wrote that she hoped to “form a real bond” with Hannah after she was promoted to the lead producer position for her season — but that’s not actually how things transpired.
Julie apparently overheard Hannah “complain” to executive producers about her, causing palpable tension between the pair.
“I didn’t understand why she would go to the male executives for things over me, a girl that could actually relate to what she was going through,” she wrote, referring to herself as a “girl’s girl” who could chat about “boys and dating.”
Julie’s goal was to help Hannah “navigate falling in love like I would a friend.”
Julie confronted Hannah about their issues, saying they were “alike.” Julie apparently asked Hannah to give her “a chance.”
Julie LaPlaca’s ‘Love-Hate Relationship’ With Hannah Brown
Julie clarified that she “didn’t actually hate” Hannah, explaining in the book that the season was “really hard” for her to navigate.
“I so desperately wanted her to like me. Instead, I was often left feeling dismissed,” she explained. “I say this not to bash Hannah. I didn’t have the pressure she was going through during filming.”
Overall, Julie likes to think she helped Hannah’s “growth” throughout the show.
“After all we’d gone through, she was like a younger sister to me,” Julie wrote. “Outside of the chaos of filming her season, I rather enjoyed hanging out with her. I appreciated that she was self-aware of how mean she had been and acknowledged her shortcomings.”
Julie LaPlaca’s Relationship With Hannah Brown Post-Peter Weber
Peter Weber became the show’s lead after appearing on Hannah’s Bachelorette season. Julie formed a close relationship with Peter in 2020 after working on his Bachelor season, and the pair eventually hooked up after his respective breakups from from Hannah Ann Sluss and Madi Prewett.
Julie happened to be in Paris with her boyfriend after things went down with Peter, which just so happened to be the same time that Hannah was in the so-called “City of Love.” Julie sent Hannah a message upon learning she was in the city — a message she claimed went unanswered.
“She saw the message and didn’t reply. I don’t know why that triggered me so much, but it did,” Julie claimed.”It could have been an oversight, but as I scrolled back, I realized she hadn’t responded to any of my DMs or birthday texts, for over a year. This got me back in my head, wondering if she knew about what happened with Peter and was upset with me.”
Elsewhere in the book, Julie said she listened to Hannah’s God Bless This Mess memoir and, as a result, was able to piece “ together that she and Peter likely slept together the same week he and I had.”
Julie LaPlaca’s Jealousy of Hannah Brown
Julie admitted that she became jealous of Hannah and all she seemingly had going for her after the unanswered message in Paris.
“I was jealous when I saw she was staying at a nicer hotel than me in Paris and flying first class. Jealous she was a New York Times bestselling author, ten years younger than me,” Julie wrote. “Jealous that she could do one post on social media and survive for the year. Jealous she was making a living by being unapologetically herself — weird, quirky, and messy.”
