‘The Bachelor’ Host Chris Harrison Says Peter Weber Has An ‘Intimate’ Relationship With Producer Julie LaPlaca

Chris Harrison says Peter Weber has an “intimate” relationship with a producer on The Bachelor. Amid widespread rumors that Pilot Pete ends up with producer Julie LaPlaca at the end of his season of the ABC dating show, the longtime Bachelor host confirmed the leading man is indeed close to her.

In an interview with Access, Harrison weighed in on the producer drama that came out of left field and would blindside Peter’s fiancee frontrunners Hannah Ann Sluss and Madison Prewett.

Harrison has been teasing fans with rumors about LaPlaca, recently posting an Instagram pic that shows Peter, with the female producer in the background.

“I didn’t mean to do anything other than the fact that we spend a lot of time together, we travel the world together,” Harrison told Access of the photo. “Julie–an amazing, talented, smart producer that works for us–works on the show, so she’s with Peter. And she’s with all of us.”

But Harrison also added a disclaimer.

“It’s an intimate relationship. You spend that much time together, we all get close. Sometimes those lines get blurred.”

Harrison added that the only rules on The Bachelor are that Peter needs to have “the best opportunities” to find love. He noted that if anything were to occur that would mess that up, then production would “step in.”

In comments to Access’ YouTube video of the interview, fans were left confused by Harrison’s comments.

“So then is he admitting that Peter and Julie are a thing???” one fan wrote. “I’m confused.”

“Nah, he’s trolling,” another viewer responded. “It was pretty funny though.”

Indeed, Harrison is the master of trolling. In response to his cheeky, teasing photo, Harrison also told Entertainment Tonight that while he doesn’t want to say anything that could “ruin” the end of Peter’s season of The Bachelor, the rumors about him ending up with a producer seem to be “much ado about nothing” to him. But he didn’t totally rule it out, either.

Harrison said it would be “horrifying” for Peter to end up with a producer and not one of the contestants, as that’s not the “story” the rose-filled reality show is trying to tell. But the longtime Bachelor Nation host teased there is always the possibility that he doesn’t know how Peter’s season ends, and he added that maybe the rumors about the producer are “crazy enough to be true.”

ABC executive Rob Mills and Bachelor spoiler king Reality Steve have both shot down the story that Peter ends up with LaPlaca.