'The Bachelor' Star Peter Weber Breaks Silence on Former Producer's Hookup Claims

Peter Weber is firing back after former "Bachelor" producer Julie LaPlaca claimed in her new memoir the two hooked up while his season was still airing ... telling TMZ he's deeply disappointed she chose to publicly reveal what he says were private moments.

Peter tells TMZ in a statement ... "I just find it ironic that Julie is coming out with a book all about finding your truth and searching for love, when the entire time I was trying to do just that on my season of 'The Bachelor,' with her as my main confidant and guide throughout the process, her actions said otherwise."

He continues ... "I am by no means a victim in all of this. I'm a grown man who is responsible for all of my actions, and I know that. That being said, going through an experience like I did involved a certain level of trust being given to people I really didn't know that much about at the time."

Peter says contestants are cut off from the outside world and rely heavily on producers for guidance, adding "I have a hard time understanding how [Chris] Harrison and Julie can both endorse this type of book when they know how badly they let me down."

For instance, Peter alleges Julie "got into a very stern argument" with him when he was going to give contestant Hannah Ann Sluss a rose to meet his family for the hometown dates and warned him America would laugh at him.

A few weeks later, when Peter was getting ready to propose to Hannah Ann, he says he was told by both Julie and Chris that she was having second thoughts "in order to get a reaction out of him" ... and later learned that was not the truth.

He also claims he spoke with Julie for about 90 minutes before the memoir was published, repeatedly asking her not to include his name or reveal off-camera details about their relationship.

Peter tells us ... "To have her laugh in my face while I was very vulnerably expressing my reasons for wanting to be left out of this book was unforgivable. (And yes, she knows I have the conversation recorded.)"

He wraps up on a more reflective note, saying he's grateful for his experience on "The Bachelor," is "in a really good place" in his life today, and hopes Julie "finds the love that we all deserve."

Julie, who was Peter's main 'Bachelor' producer, claimed in "The Love Producer" that she and Peter's friendship turned romantic in early 2020 after his engagement to Hannah Ann ended, alleging they hooked up while his season was still airing and again after his brief reconciliation with Madi Prewett.

She also alleged they went to bed together just days before Peter rekindled things with Kelley Flanagan, who placed 5th on his season and went on to date him off-and-on after the show.