Pfeifer Was the Only Cast Member Missing from the “Age of Attraction” Reunion. Here's Why

Pfeifer Hill explained why she "declined" to attend the 'Age of Attraction' reunion

NEED TO KNOW

• The first Age of Attraction reunion premiered on April 1 on The Viall Files
• Pfeifer Hill, who was in a relationship with Derrick Fleming, was the only cast member not present
• Both Derrick and Pfeifer addressed why she was absent

During the first Age of Attraction reunion, the six couples who chose to pursue a relationship in the experiment after learning each other's true ages sat down to discuss what has happened since the first season wrapped.

However, Pfeifer Hill — who committed to Derrick Fleming in the finale — was the only person who was absent from the reunion. Prior to the special, which premiered on April 1, Pfeifer explained in a TikTok video that she "declined" to participate in the reunion but couldn't speak about her reasoning until after the reunion dropped.

After the episode was released, Pfeifer addressed her absence in a TikTok and explained that she didn't attend, because it didn't feel "authentic" to herself. At the same time, she also revealed that she was in a new relationship, and her boyfriend surprised her with a birthday trip to Japan that took place during the reunion filming.

Former Bachelor star Nick Viall and his wife, Natalie Viall — who have an 18-year age gap — hosted the Netflix show together and went on to cohost the reunion together. The season 1 reunion was released on their podcast, The Viall Files, on April 1.

Here's everything to know about why Pfeifer was missing from the Age of Attraction reunion.

Why did Pfeifer skip the Age of Attraction reunion?

During the reunion, Natalie told viewers, "Pfeifer is celebrating her birthday in Japan and is sad to not be here."

Shortly after, Pfeifer said there were two main reasons why she chose to skip the Age of Attraction reunion. In a TikTok posted after the reunion dropped, Pfeifer explained her rationale, saying she felt like appearing on The Viall Files did not "feel like an authentic choice" for her.

"I always try to stay true to myself, even if that means doing things a little bit differently," she began. "I never want to speak on a podcast that doesn’t feel like an authentic choice or one that I'm not enthusiastic about. I want the first time that I speak out about the show to be on a platform that aligns with me and one that is of my choosing."

She clarified that she was not throwing "shade to the hosts of the podcast" or their listeners, but she wanted to tell her story on her "own terms."

"I made a different choice, because for me, that choice upholds what I believe in, which is authenticity to myself," she continued. "Derrick and I ended on good terms."

In addition to wanting to use her own platform, Pfeifer also revealed that she was in a new relationship, and her boyfriend planned a surprise birthday trip for her to Japan that coincided with the reunion.

"My partner is my best friend, and even though our relationship is relatively new, it's one of the biggest joys in my whole life," she shared. "For my birthday, my boyfriend surprised me with tickets to Japan, and even if I had wanted to attend [the reunion] in the first place, I would’ve had to reschedule our trip.

She added, "I always want my boyfriend to know that our relationship is my priority above any press, any podcast, above anything that has to do with the show. No amount of PR is worth putting our relationship second, and even if I intended to attend, I wouldn’t have anyway."

Are Pfeifer and Derrick still together?

When Pfeifer joined the Netflix dating show, she was a 23-year-old graphic designer from Seattle, who hit it off with Derrick, a 43-year-old medical salesman and father of two in Dallas. After learning that they shared a 20-year age gap, they decided to continue exploring their relationship in the experiment.

As their relationship progressed, they started to struggle with the reality of Pfeifer moving to Dallas and being a stepmother to his children. Despite their uncertainty about the future, both Pfeifer and Derrick decided to remain together at the Commitment Ceremony.

"If I were to leave here without you, I may regret it for the rest of my life. Today, I'm putting the unknowns aside, and I'm trusting my heart," Pfeifer told Derrick. "I am 100% committed to moving to Dallas and starting our journey together."

However, Pfeifer did not end up moving to Dallas, and the couple are no longer together.

"I'm no longer with Pfeifer," Derrick told Entertainment Tonight in a March 25 video. "A little bit of the distance, she just started a new career, and honestly probably some influence honestly from her friends. I knew that that was probably going to be a challenge."

Although they aren't romantically involved any longer, he clarified that the two of them are "still on really good terms" and check in with each other.

Derrick elaborated on their breakup during the reunion and explained that their relationship struggled with the distance, so they split about one month after filming. He said that she also had "concerns" about moving to be with him and "giving up her friends and all that."

"Looking at that now, it was just too big, it was too much," he shared. "When she got back to her normal life outside the bubble, I think that there was probably some influences there."

Was Pfeifer feuding with other cast members?

Prior to Pfeifer addressing her absence, some people online began to wonder if it had anything to do with her costars. Under one of her TikTok videos, a fan asked her why she unfollowed several of her cast members.

However, Pfeifer quickly shut that rumor down and replied, "this is just not the case."

She added in her April 1 TikTok video, "I have no bad blood with anybody on the cast, so I kind of just wanted to leave it that way."

Where can I watch the Age of Attraction reunion?

The Age of Attraction reunion became available to watch on The Viall Files on Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. ET. The Viall Files is available to watch on YouTube and offers audio formats on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

All episodes from the first season of Age of Attraction are available to watch on Netflix.

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