Barbra Weber, the mother of The Bachelor star Peter Weber, is facing online harassment from viewers of the show after expressing her doubts about her son’s choice.
On Tuesday’s finale of The Bachelor, Peter reunited with Madison Prewett after ending his engagement with Hannah Ann.
But, while the pilot seemed happy with the outcome, his mother didn’t hold her feelings back when asked by host Chris Harrison how she felt about the situation.
Explaining that the previous night’s finale, during which Barbra expressed doubts about Prewett, “didn’t show everything,” she said: “I will say, when I went for Hannah Ann, it was because she was the one who embraced me with love.
“She was so organic, she was just so loving towards me. And I just loved her. The next day, we met Madison, and it started out on a rocky road.”
According to the mother-of-two, her initial impression of Prewett was negative because the 23-year-old made Peter’s family wait “three hours” before meeting them in Australia - and then didn’t apologise.
“We had just come across the country - excuse me, across the world - and we were exhausted, we were just getting used to the time there, and we had to wait three hours, and when she did come in, the whole family... we didn't get an apology from her,” Barbra said.
The Bachelor’s mother also said she’d wanted her son to choose Ann “so badly” because “we just clicked right away,” whereas the family “did not have that connection with Madison”.
Despite Prewett attempting to intervene, Barbra then told Harrison and the live audience that her son’s friends, family and “everyone that knows him” know “that it’s not going to work”.
“So we’ve been trying to help them. Would we want it to work? Yes,” she said.
The candid comments prompted backlash on social media, where viewers of the show criticised Barbra’s handling of the situation.
“As a mother you should be ashamed of yourself,” one person wrote on Barbra’s latest Instagram post. “You acted like a child throwing a tantrum at Walmart because they didn’t get the toy they wanted. So embarrassing. Peter and Madison need to stay far away from you.”
Another said: “You embarrassed yourself on national television. This wasn’t about YOU. Why did you feel the need to make it that way? You owe your son and Madison a huge apology and you need to step back and stay in your own lane. You’re out of line! It’s not your decision and never was!”
While Barbra hasn’t responded since Tuesday’s episode aired, she assured a fan on Monday who defended her from criticism that she wasn’t letting it get to her.
“I ignore all the negatives!!” she wrote on Instagram.
Despite not having the approval of Weber’s family, Prewett said Tuesday that she has “love and respect” for them.
“At the end of the day, it is what it is,” she said during the finale. “Can't change the past, and there's a lot that was out of my control. I'm not a mom, so I don't know what it's like to have a son, to have kids. I know that I have love and respect for Peter. Therefore I have love and respect for Peter's family and I will never say a negative word about anyone or anything.”
