In her upcoming book 'The Love Producer,' Julie LaPlaca opens up about her close bond with Weber and the toll of their off-camera connection
Credit: Julie LaPlaca/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
• Julie LaPlaca says she and Peter Weber “instantly connected” while working together on The Bachelor
• While teasing her upcoming book, The Love Producer, LaPlaca admits she was “more open” with Weber than with her boyfriend of five years
• LaPlaca describes their relationship as emotionally intense, saying “lines became blurred”
Former Bachelor producer Julie LaPlaca is finally ready to tell her side of the story about her rumored connection with season 24 lead Peter Weber.
While teasing her upcoming book, The Love Producer, which is set for release July 7, 2026, the seasoned television producer promises to reveal what “reality TV doesn’t always air.”
“I will be sharing my truth that I suppressed for a while,” LaPlaca told Entertainment Weekly in an interview published Thursday, April 2. “I dealt with some shame and some fear around sharing it. And part of my journey was working through that and allowing myself to get to a place to be fully vulnerable — like I got so many cast members to do. Every woman should own her story and own her truth… It’s very juicy and Bachelor Nation is going to love it.”
LaPlaca first joined the franchise as a date producer, working closely with contestants and leads as they navigated their on-screen relationships.
“You’re basically with them 24/7. You’re doing all their interviews, prepping them for all their dates, and helping guide them on their entire journey,” she told the outlet. “The storyteller side of me was really excited when I made that shift because we’re really crafting a 20-hour rom-com.”
Credit: Julie LaPlaca/Instagram
In 2019, during Hannah Brown’s season, LaPlaca was tapped to work directly with the lead for the first time — a shift that would ultimately shape her experience on the show in unexpected ways.
That season introduced viewers to Weber, the pilot who would later go on to become the next Bachelor star. As his season aired in early 2020, speculation quickly swirled about how his journey ended, including rumors that he was secretly involved with a producer.
That producer was later revealed to be LaPlaca.
At the time, the rumors gained traction after the pair spent New Year’s Eve together as part of promotional appearances and were fueled further when ABC executive Rob Mills and then-host Chris Harrison declined to confirm or deny the speculation.
LaPlaca publicly addressed the rumors after the finale aired, writing on Instagram that they “didn’t kiss at midnight.”
However, LaPlaca, who exited the franchise after Matt James’ season in 2021, admitted she and Weber “instantly connected.”
“He felt like an immediate best friend. My job is digging into his heart, getting him to be vulnerable — and I was doing the same,” LaPlaca told EW. “There were moments where I was like, ‘Wow, I’m more open with Peter than I was with my boyfriend of five years.’ There’s this interesting bond that people don’t see, the intimacy that the lead producers have with the people they’re with. … It got complicated and lines became blurred.”
While LaPlaca said she never felt her actions crossed a clear ethical boundary, she acknowledges the emotional intensity of the role.
“I never got to a point where I was like, ‘Oh, this doesn’t sit well with my conscience,’” she continued. “Luckily, especially when you’re working with the lead, the big bosses will take the fall for some of the stuff. But it’s a tricky balance, for sure. What is the line — obviously, there’s certain stuff you have to do and that may even be what ultimately was part of me leaving the show, especially with Peter. We became really close as friends too. And that was a really intense, sort of spiral of things with him. It can impact you on an emotional level.”
Credit: Eric McCandless via Getty
The aftermath of their connection proved just as complicated.
“Immediately after, I dealt with a lot of hurt,” she says. “I don’t think Kelley [Flanagan] wanted him to talk to me. That was my understanding, so we lost contact. … We had become so close. For nine months, I spent every day with him. There was a grief period there for many reasons.”
Weber later rekindled an on-and-off relationship with contestant Flanagan, while LaPlaca said she and the former Bachelor eventually reconnected as friends.
Still, she acknowledged that revisiting their story publicly may not be easy for Weber.
“He’s not happy about it,” LaPlaca said of the book.
Despite the complications, LaPlaca maintains a positive view of Weber.
“Peter has a bad rep, but I really adore him as a person,” she said. “I think he’s a wonderful person. He had a complicated season, but as a person, he means well and he’s a really good guy.”
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PEOPLE has reached out to Weber’s representatives for comment, but has not heard back.
As she prepares to release The Love Producer, LaPlaca said the decision to share her story ultimately comes down to embracing vulnerability.
“I spent all my years getting people to be vulnerable and share their heart on the show,” she told EW. “And I realized I had shielded mine.”
Credit: Simon and Schuster
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Last year, Weber told PEOPLE he was “still looking for the one” while participating in P&G's Battle of the Paddles.
“You can't ever force it, but I have faith in due time that'll work out,” he said at the time. “I never lost faith, so I know it'll happen soon, and I’m just enjoying the journey along the way.”
The Love Producer will be available July 7, 2026.
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