Peter Weber is speaking out after former Bachelor producer Julie LaPlaca claimed they had a secret romance off camera.
“I just find it ironic that Julie is coming out with a book all about finding your truth and searching for love, when the entire time I was trying to do just that on my season of The Bachelor, with her as my main confidant and guide throughout the process, her actions said otherwise,” Peter, 34, said in a statement to TMZ on Tuesday, July 7, after the release of Julie’s memoir, The Love Producer.
Peter questioned how Julie’s position as his producer affected power dynamics in their relationship.
“I am by no means a victim in all of this. I’m a grown man who is responsible for all of my actions, and I know that,” he continued. “That being said, going through an experience like I did involved a certain level of trust being given to people I really didn’t know that much about at the time.”
In the statement, Peter called out former Bachelor host Chris Harrison, who wrote the foreword to The Love Producer.
“I have a hard time understanding how [Chris] and Julie can both endorse this type of book when they know how badly they let me down,” he added.
Peter claimed he had a 90-minute conversation with Julie, 41, before the book’s release where he asked for some discretion when it came to sharing intimate details about their relationship.
“To have her laugh in my face while I was very vulnerably expressing my reasons for wanting to be left out of this book was unforgivable,” he claimed. “(And yes, she knows I have the conversation recorded).”
Julie worked on several seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, notably forming a close bond with Peter when he was the lead on season 24. In her memoir, Julie claimed the pair’s connection took a romantic turn after his season wrapped filming. According to Julie, they hooked up several times — even spending a night together shortly before Peter was spotted reconnecting with his fifth runner-up, Kelley Flanagan, in 2020.
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Julie opened up about Peter’s response to the book, claiming he “reacted from a place of fear” when they spoke about it.
“At the time, I offered to let him read a copy, and instead he panicked, and you know … that’s OK,” she said. “I just wish him the best, and I hope when he reads it, he sees that it’s coming from the heart.”
Julie emphasized that she wasn’t “out to get” the season 24 Bachelor. “I’m just sharing my truth and my story, and he was a big catalyst for me, like, leaving and embarking on my own healing journey, and diving deeper into understanding my patterns with men, you know, why did I always go for Peter Pans, if you will. And so, I’m super grateful for him,” she added.
Peter previously addressed her claims in an Instagram comment ahead of the book’s release, asserting that he’s “moved on from this period of my life” and “asked Julie on multiple occasions” to protect their privacy.
