Peter Weber Slams Rumors His Mom, Barb, Contributed to His Breakup With Kelley Flanagan

Despite Barb Weber’s sweet sentiments regarding her son Peter Weber’s split from Kelley Flanagan, she may have been a contributing factor in the breakup. 

On January 5, E! Online reported that Pilot Pete’s outspoken mom—who was made famous for meddling in his relationships during his season of The Bachelor—may have unintentionally pushed her “fave” contestant away.  

According to a source, Barb put a lot of “pressure” on Peter and Kelley, who dated for eight months after his stint on the reality show. “Kelley did think Barb was very controlling and overbearing, but she tried to not let it affect their relationship,” the source claimed. “Barb put a lot of pressure on them, which was definitely hard.”

Still, the source said Peter’s mother and girlfriend “got along” and “enjoyed each other,” and the dealbreaker was the former Bachelor’s commitment issues. “Peter is not ready to be with one girl,” the source added. “He thought he could take the step of moving in with Kelley, but he couldn’t handle it.”

Another source speaking to Entertainment Tonight, however, put things a little less delicately. “Barb was very involved and expected to be a major priority within Peter and Kelley’s relationship,” the source said. 

Just as Peter Weber denied his mom was responsible for his split from Madison Prewett directly following that explosive “After the Final Rose” episode, the pilot is shooting down rumors that his mom caused his latest breakup. “Kelley and I broke up two weeks ago. I flew to Chicago and was finished with the relationship, then my mom really encouraged us to be in the relationship if we wanted to be and to not give up,” he told Entertainment Tonight.

Peter continued, “Kelley and I operate on two different frequencies, and one isn’t better or worse than the other; we’re just two different people, and those differences surfaced after eight months of dating. But I loved her like crazy, and my mom really cared about her.”

After Peter announced his split from Kelley with a lengthy Instagram message on December 31 (Kelley released her own days later), Barb made her feelings on the subject perfectly clear. “Love can be fickle and it is not for the timid. Those who have experienced it know this all too well,” she commented. “But it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Our hearts ache for you two. Kelley will always have a piece of our hearts and we wish her only the best.”