Bachelor Producer Julie LaPlaca Finally Addresses Peter Weber Dating Rumors

Bachelor producer Julie LaPlaca is setting the record straight on her relationship with Peter Weber amid rumors that they were dating.

On Friday, LaPlaca shared a throwback photo of herself and Weber, 28, celebrating New Year's Eve at Times Square in New York City, writing, "Yes that was @pilot_pete in the tan jacket, no we didn't kiss at midnight."

"But, whoever ends up as his copilot for life is one lucky lady, because this guy has a heart of gold," LaPlaca concluded, adding a red heart and an airplane emoji.

Rumors about LaPlaca and Weber's potential relationship began swirling over the holidays after they were photographed ringing in the new year together.

LaPlaca had originally shared a solo photo of herself celebrating in New York City, but fans quickly spotted the back of Weber's head in the shot.

Weber's father also posted a photo from New Years Eve of LaPlaca out to dinner with the Weber family.

Back in February, when Weber's romantic fate was still up in the air, Robert Mills, ABC's senior vice president of alternative series, specials & late-night programming, spoke to Entertainment Tonight about what fans could expect from the finale, referencing the rumors surrounding LaPlaca and Weber.

"Well, I hate to get in the way of a good rumor, so I'm not going to confirm or deny about whether he ends up with a producer!" Mills said. "I don't know how we'd ever top that though! But, it is crazy."

"What we've seen about the finale over the years is that the 'finale' is really on that night when the show goes live," he added. "There's a lot of craziness, it's a roller coaster, but I would say even now the roller coaster hasn't ended, and it won't end until after After the Final Rose."

While Weber didn't end up with LaPlaca, this season of the Bachelor still left fans on edge of their seats - even after the reunion.

On Thursday, Peter Weber and Madison Prewett announced their decision to go their separate ways on their respective Instagram accounts.

"I want to start by acknowledging the incredible group of women that I had the privilege of getting to know this season," Weber began his post. "Thank you for coming on this journey with me. I learned so many lessons from all of you that I will carry with me."

The Bachelor star then went on to address Prewett, writing, "Madi, thank you for your patience and unconditional love. You're the epitome of a woman who carries herself with grace, stands by what she believes in, and loves wholeheartedly. That love is something I feel so grateful to have felt and will take a piece of that with me always going forward."

He continued, "Madi and I have mutually decided to not pursue our relationship any further. Believe me this was not easy for either of us to be ok with, but after a lot of honest conversations, we have agreed that this is what makes most sense for the two of us. The love and respect I have for Madi will continue to endure."

Tuesday night's Bachelor finale saw Weber proposing to Hannah Ann Sluss after Prewett, 23, decided to walk away from the show. However, the pilot broke off his short-lived engagement one month later to pursue a relationship with Prewett after realizing he still had feelings for her.

Since Prewett's split from Weber, she is leaning on loved ones.

"Madi has been having a tough time," a source tells PEOPLE. "She really cares for Peter and wanted to work through their challenges to see if they could have a future together, but it just got too difficult and seemed like everything was against them."