Bachelor producer Julie LaPlaca is finally setting the record straight on her relationship with The Bachelor‘s Peter Weber amid rumors that the pair were secretly dating.
On Friday, March 13, LaPlaca shared a throwback photo of herself with the reality star, celebrating New Year’s Eve at Times Square in New York City, writing, “Yes that was @pilot_pete in the tan jacket, no we didn’t kiss at midnight.”
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“But, whoever ends up as his copilot for life is one lucky lady, because this guy has a heart of gold,” LaPlaca concluded her post.
Rumors about the Bachelor producer and Weber dating began swirling over the holidays after the pair were photographed together ringing in the new year.
LaPlaca had originally shared a photo of herself celebrating in the city, but Bachelor Nation fans were quick to point out the back of Weber’s head in the snap.
Weber’s father also posted his own photo from New Years Eve of a family dinner with LaPlaca in it.
In February of this year, when Weber’s romantic fate was still up for speculation, ABC exec Robert Mills spoke to Entertainment Tonight about what fans could expect from The Bachelor‘s finale, referencing the rumors surrounding the producer and star.
“Well, I hate to get in the way of a good rumor, so I’m not going to confirm or deny about whether he ends up with a producer!” Mills said. “I don’t know how we’d ever top that though! But, it is crazy.”
“What we’ve seen about the finale over the years is that the ‘finale’ is really on that night when the show goes live,” he added. “There’s a lot of craziness, it’s a roller coaster, but I would say even now the roller coaster hasn’t ended, and it won’t end until after After the Final Rose.”
Even though Weber didn’t end up with LaPlaca in the end, this season of The Bachelor left fans on the edge of their seats.
On Thursday, March 12, Weber and Madison Prewett announced their split on their respective Instagram accounts.
“I want to start by acknowledging the incredible group of women that I had the privilege of getting to know this season,” Weber wrote. “Thank you for coming on this journey with me. I learned so many lessons from all of you that I will carry with me.”
He went on to address his ex-girlfriend, writing, “Madi, thank you for your patience and unconditional love. You’re the epitome of a woman who carries herself with grace, stands by what she believes in, and loves wholeheartedly. That love is something I feel so grateful to have felt and will take a piece of that with me always going forward.”
Weber continued, continued, “Madi and I have mutually decided to not pursue our relationship any further. Believe me this was not easy for either of us to be ok with, but after a lot of honest conversations, we have agreed that this is what makes most sense for the two of us. The love and respect I have for Madi will continue to endure.”
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