'The Bachelor' alum Peter Weber slams Kelley Flanagan for "calculated" and "disingenuous" breakup remarks

The Bachelor alum Peter Weber has shared his "brutally honest" side of the story in regards to his recently-turned nasty split from Kelley Flanagan, who previously slammed the pilot for allegedly being a Pokemon-loving, disrespectful partyboy.


On May 20, Kelley appeared on the Chicks in the Office podcast and said her relationship with Peter ended "really badly" and she'd probably "just run" from Peter if they ever saw each other on the streets of New York, where they are both currently living. 

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Peter reacted tot his ex-girlfriend's bold comments on his new Bachelors in the City podcast during the May 25 episode dubbed "Peter's Side of the Story."

"I'm the last person in the world to call anyone out. I always feel like it's better to take the high road... No need to speak poorly on someone of their character or attack them. That's just not me and I'm not a confrontational person," Peter began.


But in regards to Kelley's recent remarks about their messy relationship and breakup, Peter said he felt like he had no choice but to speak up.

"I'm just being honest with you guys -- I am going to be so brutally, brutally honest with you guys for however long this goes on for, and just speak from the heart. I thought it was very calculated," Peter shared.

"I thought, after hearing how it went, that it was very trying to push for a headline. Very, like I said, just calculated and very disingenuous."

Also during her podcast appearance, Kelley gently slammed Peter for his hobbies -- collecting Pokemon cards, playing video games and partying -- and said their differences definitely contributed to their split.

Peter continued, "That's too bad. I didn't necessarily expect that from Kelley. It kind of caught me off guard... It made headlines and all that, and it is what it is. You sign up for an experience like this and obviously there's a certain level of privacy you lose."


Peter reiterated how he feels Kelley is "trying to ride [the fame wave] for as long as she possibly can" and her podcast interview "seemed pushy for a headline" and "to get people talking."

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"I don't know why she's wanted to push for these headlines or these stories, maybe because it sells? I don't know. I don't talk to her," Peter said.

Following their official February 2021 breakup and weeks of not talking, Peter said he attempted to check on Kelley through her friend, who allegedly told Peter that Kelley expected the pilot to do some "grandiose gesture" or "big public display" to ever have a shot at being on speaking terms again.

Peter said that demand didn't make sense to him and he has "a problem with that."


"That, in my opinion, is not what a relationship is all about. Yes, we sign up for a show and we put our life on display, especially romantically and in a relationship. But you guys have to understand our relationship never actually took off from the show. It truly was completely removed from the show," Peter explained.

"I have a problem with her wanting me to do a huge gesture or public display for everyone else but not keep it about the two people that really only matter in this situation, being Kelley and myself."

Peter -- who insisted the breakup was "very hard on the both" of them -- said he wasn't prepared to make a public gesture and wished he could have spoken to Kelley in private.

After some time elapsed, Peter admitted Kelley had been on his mind a lot and so he texted her earlier this month without any hope or agenda to reconcile or get back together.

"It truly was just to talk, and I said, 'I have a-million-and-one things I'd like to say to you,'" Peter noted.


Peter said he requested an open line of communication given they'll both be living in New York City but he received "zero response."

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"Message taken, accepted. I get it," Peter said.

"But part of the reason I think this is so calculated is because I see her go on a very well known and successful podcast, Chicks in the Office... and would rather talk about our private relationship to the public and not to [privately to me]."

Peter continued, "And that's what I was not okay with. It screamed, 'I want a headline and I want to ride this out as long as I can. And this is the next best way to do that.'"


Peter insisted every couple is entitled to a certain level of privacy regardless if they appear on a reality show.

"I'm not going to attack her. I won't... I wish she would just leave this be. This has been a long time. It's been six months. It's nothing new," Peter said.

He added, "I wish she would distance herself from the relationship that just ended up not working out and from the show. She's so much more than that."

Peter said he doesn't want to put his energy into a "he said, she said" battle against Kelley in the press.

Peter then went on to recall the details of how his relationship with Kelley ended.

According to Peter, the couple's relationship started going downhill in mid-December, when he still resided in Los Angeles and Kelley was living in Chicago.


Peter said he and Kelley discussed going their separate ways on the phone but then Kelley demanded they talk in person, which was an "uncomfortable" and painful situation Peter initially wasn't okay with.

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However, Peter caved and flew to Chicago on a red-eye flight.

"We had a really long heart-to-heart talk on her couch... We decided that we were going to stay broken up and we weren't going to try this again," Peter said.

So after eight months of dating, Peter first announced their split on New Year's Eve.

In response to Kelley having accused Peter of trying to ensure their breakup would get plenty of media coverage by publicly announcing it sooner than she wanted to, Peter said he needed to stop being a people-pleaser and do what was best for himself and his own mental health at the time.


"I need to leave this in 2020. I don't want to bring this into a brand new year. I need a fresh start and not have it start with such a downer," Peter recalled.

And according to Peter, the reason for their split was "just differences."

"We were different in a lot of ways," Peter told his listeners, later adding, "There's no crazy story."

But then the couple fell back into each other days later and reunited at the Super Bowl in 2021, followed by their official split in February.

Kelley said on the Chicks in the Office podcast several weeks ago, "I essentially went off on him... He texted me, I didn't respond and then found some news out that I wasn't happy about... I went off and essentially said, like, 'Get the hell out of my life.' It ended really badly."

Peter and Kelley initially planned to move to New York City together, but neither person changed course after their split.


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And finally, Peter defended his eyebrow-raising hobby of collecting Pokemon cards during his podcast.

"I will never apologize for liking Pokemon cards," Peter said with a laugh, explaining the "sense of nostalgia" the cards provide for him.

Peter also said the cards are very valuable and have been selling for "an insane amount of money." Peter cited the cards as being a smart investment.

"I thought it was funny because [Kelley] actually liked Pokemon too. I don't know why she's saying she didn't... Maybe she was just playing along to make me happy," Peter acknowledged.

Despite Kelley's biting remarks in the press lately, Peter still had great things to say about his ex-girlfriend.


"I've been very open how -- and I'm not just saying this -- truly, Kelley was the best relationship that I have ever had in my life, and I could not be more grateful for the 10 months we did have together," Peter said.

While the Season 24 The Bachelor star admitted his relationship "wasn't perfect" and "no relationship is," he said he's "so, so grateful for that time" with Kelley and he still cares "very, very deeply" for his ex.

Peter told his listeners the attachment he had formed to Kelley won't just go away overnight.

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"It doesn't just disappear even if [a couple] comes to a point when they realize they're not super compatible or meant to be with each other long-term," Peter explained.

Peter confirmed, however, he has "more than 100 percent moved on."


"I know that we aren't right for each other. I've accepted that... I know Kelley and I are not meant to be together, and that's okay. I can't wait to find my person and I can't wait for her to find hers, truly," Peter said.

Peter concluded that he wants Kelley to be happy and bringing up their baggage won't be helpful in her search.

"If I could send a message to Kells, it would be, 'Let's finally just put it to rest and just look forward,'" Peter said.

Prior to dating Kelley -- Peter's fifth-place finisher on The Bachelor's 24th season who got eliminated before hometown dates -- Peter had a failed engagement to his season's winner Hannah Ann Sluss.

Peter then also attempted to reconcile with The Bachelor alum Madison Prewett -- who quit Peter's season during their final date -- in March 2020, but the couple's relationship never really got off the ground.

Peter and Kelley reunited after The Bachelor as friends to quarantine in Chicago in March 2020 and then a romance sparked and they went Instagram official in May of that year.


But Kelley may have already found herself a new man. She is rumored to have "turned down Bachelor in Paradise because she is dating someone," according to an E! News source.

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski