Exclusive Interview

Ex-‘Bachelor’ Producer Julie LaPlaca Calls Peter Weber ‘One of My Soulmates’ (VIDEO)

Former Bachelor producer Julie LaPlaca is the one handing out the roses this time around, as the leading lady of her new memoir, The Love Producer, where she reveals that fan suspicion was kind of true: She didn’t end up with Peter Weber — but she did sleep with him.

Julie served as a producer on The Bachelor franchise from Andi Dorfman‘s season of The Bachelorette to Matt James‘ season of The Bachelor. During her tenure with the franchise, she was promoted from date producer to lead producer, which means that she worked one-on-one with Peter, Matt, Hannah Brown, Clare Crawley, and Tayshia Adams. However, Julie herself made headlines in 2020, during Peter’s season, when a fan theory arose that Peter might have ended up with Julie instead of one of his contestants.

Now, she’s sitting down with Swooon to talk about what really happened with Peter and to dive deeper into Bachelor secrets she shares in her memoir.

According to Julie, The Bachelor‘s NDA lasts “indefinitely,” leading her to admit, “I was very hesitant to tell my truth.” That said, she explained, “I realize I’ve always been a people pleaser… I never want to upset anyone or hurt anyone. That’s not my intention at all with the book, but I think— it’s funny, because even if you Google my name, there’s only one thing that comes up, and I’ve never really shared my side of the story and my truth.”

Looking back at the rumor that turned her life on its head, Julie recalled, “The rumor that [Peter and I] would end up together all just started from a Reddit theory.” The theory claimed, “I feel 98% confident that Peter winds up with the producer, Julie LaPlaca,” before going into six key reasons why, including them spending New Year’s Eve together and frequently posting each other on social media. Julie continued, “Then someone took the Reddit theory and did that on social, and then I think Cosmo picked it up, and then Good Morning America, and then it just spiraled from there.”

Julie LaPlaca / Instagram

While these Reddit theories surfaced when Julie and Peter were just close friends, she reveals in her memoir that they took things to the next level after filming the bulk of the season and after his breakup with Hannah Ann Sluss. Specifically, Julie and Peter slept together in his childhood bedroom after watching the episode in which Madison Prewett broke up with Peter (for the first time) aired. Days later, production set up a surprise meeting between Peter and Madison, during which they kissed and agreed to take things day by day.

“I was very hesitant to share that [Peter and I had slept together],” Julie admitted to Swooon, “I kind of hid in shame for a long time. I dealt with shame on like two levels, one as a producer, obviously not great, and so I felt like, ‘I’m a terrible producer. How could I have done this?’ And then also shame in that [this] brought up all these old wounds of not being chosen by men, and men just want to hook up with me, and not wanting anything else.”

She continued, “It was a tough time for me to go through all that, and I actually lived in constant paranoia, like I had a scarlet letter on my back, and fear that everyone knew and was talking about me, and I have no idea. I could have just been making this all up in my head, but it’s just this cloud that clouded over me for a really long time.”

While Julie and Peter’s relationship did not continue after their night together, she explained, “Peter and I connected really deeply on a soul level. I think Peter is one of my soulmates.” Julie told Swooon that she feels she has “multiple” soulmates, and that they’re not just romantic ones.

“I think everything that happened was really the catapult to me going on this healing spiritual journey, where I dove deeper into understanding myself, and so I’m actually super grateful for how it all unfolded now. As I reflect back, the time [was] really hard and complicated,” she said.

Still, she admitted, “I don’t think I’m like a complete idiot to think that there was something there on like a deeper level [between Peter and myself]. So I’m grateful for him. I have no bad words to say about him, and I wish him the best.”

Related

Your Bachelor Nation Burning Questions, Answered by a Former Producer

Julie also confirmed that she “reached out to him just to let him know about the book, and to offer him to read an early copy.” He declined her offer, and they have not spoken since. That said, Julie shared, “But the book is for women. It’s my story, and I hope to help other women through it, and having them not be afraid to own their story and own their truth, and to actually break free from old patterns and old stories and embody who they really want to be going forward. That’s who the book is for.”

Today, Julie is single, proudly sharing that she is in her “leading lady era.” She explained, “I like to say I’m a producer of love in all that I do, and you just try to go about your day-to-day, coming from a loving place because, really, when you put love out there energetically, you attract it back in all that you do.”

Watch our full interview with Julie LaPlaca above to find out more about her work with Hannah Brown, how she almost became the Bachelorette instead of Clare Crawley, and more!

The Love Producer by Julie LaPlaca is available now.