Pieper James has posted another statement in attempt to clear up a "final point of contention" about her pre-Bachelor in Paradise relationship with Brendan Morais.
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The Oregon native continued, "Amidst everything that's been happening on and off screen, Brendan and I were not in an exclusive relationship in any capacity before filming."
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Pieper's statement follows more than a week of backlash from Bachelor Nation and Bachelor in Paradise fans.
On Tuesday night's episode of Bachelor in Paradise, a handful of cast members ambushed Brendan and Pieper on the beach, accusing them of being on the show for fame, clout and Instagram followers since they had brought their already-existing relationship to the beach, where they could resume dating on television.
Brendan told Natasha Parker -- who had been dating and pining for Brendan for weeks prior to Pieper's arrival -- that he and Pieper had only hung out two times, but once Natasha confronted Pieper about the situation, Pieper said she had seen Brendan around 10 times before Paradise commenced.
Brendan also admitted to downplaying his pre-Paradise romance with Pieper to the other cast members while he dated Natasha on the beach and seemingly strung her along for roses.
Around the same time Pieper posted her new statement, Natasha took to her own Instagram Story and thanked her followers for their support and encouragement.
"So much love and gratitude for every single person that has validated my feels on this wild paradise journey... I see you, I feel you, and the love has been unmatched," Natasha, who felt hurt and betrayed by Brendan, wrote.
"Cheers to letting go of the past! Let the good times roll #bachelornation y'all know what's up."
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Despite all the drama, Pieper told Us Weekly late last week that she and Brendan are "working through things."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW"This obviously isn't something that's super healthy for a relationship either, so it kind of is what it is. Every day, [we're] taking it day by day," Pieper revealed.
Pieper also claimed she had "no idea" what she was walking into when she entered the Paradise scene.
She explained to the magazine, "Obviously, [if] you like somebody, you hope that they're waiting for you, but you don't know the circumstances... So, whatever he had to do beforehand, that had nothing to do with me. I didn't tell him to do anything, so that was kind of what it was."
Pieper insisted she was just "following [her] heart" and didn't even know she'd be appearing on Bachelor in Paradise until "a week" before she flew to Mexico.
Pieper previously said she's "truly sorry" for any hurt her actions caused Natasha and others, but she also recently told Us that she doesn't have "any regrets" about her stint on the show or romance with the 31-year-old commercial roofer from the Boston area.
As Natasha struggled to mend her broken heart in Paradise, Brendan and Pieper appeared to laugh about "playing the game" and were shown talking about their influencer status and thousands of social-media followers, which have since plummeted -- by nearly 30 percent, in Brendan's case.
But Pieper told Us on Thursday, "I didn't go into Paradise with the intention of hurting anyone, nor would I ever want to be the reason why someone had a bad experience."
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"I had a friendship with Natasha before the show and had spoken to her about me and Brendan talking," Pieper alleged.
Pieper also previously blamed Bachelor in Paradise's editing and production, in part, for painting Brendan and herself in an unflattering light. She claimed in her Instagram Stories last week that a two-hour episode cannot possibly capture the whole story.
Once Pieper and Brendan returned to the beach from their first date in Paradise, Pieper immediately called Brendan her "boyfriend" and they didn't hide their feelings and affection for one another.
At the sight of them, Natasha lamented, "I feel like a casualty in [Brendan]'s convoluted plan."
Natasha let the cameras know that she felt "played" and "swindled" by "a con artist" who had "lied" and "manipulated" her.
When Natasha confronted Brendan about having lied about his past with Pieper, Brendan accused Natasha of having had "selective hearing" when they'd talk about their connection, which he ultimately dubbed just "a friendship."
Natasha therefore accused Brendan of "gaslighting" and being disrespectful to her on Twitter.
Brendan was also shown bragging to Pieper on Bachelor in Paradise about how Natasha didn't have any other "prospects" and so he essentially did her a favor by giving her a rose so she could stay on the show longer.
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"After taking time to begin to process the events that unfolded over the past few days, I have realized I was wrong on so many different levels," Brendan wrote via Instagram Stories on September 8, after being subjected to major criticism.
Brendan admitted he had been "completely insensitive" by poking fun of the situation on Instagram, and he added, "I apologize to you, Natasha. I hurt you. I am deeply sorry for doing so. I understand that the damage is already done and all I can do going forward is acknowledge the error of my ways."
Brendan added, "For those of you that felt my actions triggered certain feelings and emotions I am truly sorry."
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On the latest episode of Bachelor in Paradise, Brendan called Natasha, Demi Burnett and her friends "disgruntled females" after they accused him of wasting everyone's time in Paradise.
Brendan said his co-stars -- who told Brendan and Pieper they would leave the beach if they had any "dignity" left -- had made "a pathetic attempt to intimidate [him]" and that Natasha was just "salty."
Pieper whispered to Brendan afterwards, "I told you I didn't want to come. I told you."
Brendan and Pieper then decided to leave on their own terms and continue their relationship at home."I didn't intentionally want to mislead anyone; I just withheld information," Brendan said in his final words.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
