The Bachelor hasn’t shied away from shocking twist endings in the past, but this season’s bachelor, Peter Weber, might have just pulled off the biggest twist yet. He’s been spotted out with a producer from the hit romantic reality show, sparking rumors that it won’t be a contestant who receives the final rose. The Bachelor host Chris Harrison has played coy about the rumors, which has only added fuel to the fire.
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Weber’s final three ladies, Hannah Ann Sluss, Madison Prewett, and Victoria Fuller, might be facing competition from an unexpected source. Julie LaPlaca, a producer on the show as well as several other Bachelor properties, has fans of the show wondering if there’s something going on between her and 28-year-old Weber. There are three main drivers that give this rumor any credence at all. Weber has included LaPlaca in several of his family gatherings. The first sign was a picture taken on New Years Eve featuring not only Weber and his family, but LaPlaca as well. This was the source of viewers’ initial inkling that the two were closer than usual.
Peter Weber and Julie LaPlaca’s “romance”
Harrison only fanned the flames of speculation after he posted a photo of himself, Weber, and LaPlaca to his Instagram page. Asked about the two’s relationship on Access, Harrison coyly replied, “I’ll just say this, it’s an intimate relationship. You spend that much time together, we all get close. Sometimes those lines get blurred.” He kept up the mystery when asked if the bachelor choosing someone other than the contestants was against the rules.
“The only rules are, Peter needs to have the best opportunity to find love, or whoever the ‘Bachelor’ or ‘Bachelorette’ is,” Harrison said. “If something were to mess that up, then we would try to step in, and we would help.” Harrison is in “I won’t confirm or deny that” mode. The speculation can only help boost viewership, so whether there’s truth to the rumor or not, it definitely behooves Harrison to keep the mystery alive.
Is there proof that LaPlaca is the bachelor’s choice?
The last piece of evidence that seems to point to Julie LaPlaca being Peter Weber’s ultimate choice is a video provided exclusively to PageSix. It appears to show Weber, his mother, and a woman assumed to be LaPlaca enjoying a day out at a winery. The video is shot from a fair distance away, so it’s difficult to accurately identify the people, but the man in the video has more than a passing resemblance to Weber. In the video, both the man and the blonde woman sitting next to him dance in their seats as they sip wine.
Obviously, we’ll all have to wait for the final episode of The Bachelor, airing March 10, to find out if these rumors hold water. Harrison has already described this season as “unlike any season we’ve ever had as far as the finale and how it ends.” Could that also be a hint that Weber chooses LaPlaca? Time will tell, we suppose.