Much of Peter Weber’s season of The Bachelor was rife with indecision and terrible pilot jokes. Ironically though, one of the wildest bits of relationship drama didn't even include Weber — rather, between contestant Victoria Fuller and her ex-something, Chase Rice.
Fuller went on Bachelor album Nick Viall's Viall Files podcast to explain what exactly went down on that infamous concert date. Knowing that the Virginia Beach, VA native loves country music, Weber prepared a surprise live concert for Fuller after spending the day at an amusement park. This is a classic Bachelor move: take your date to hear live music, dance in front of the audience, feel like the only two people in the world, kiss, etc. It tends to work 100% of the time, so naturally, the show needed to raise the stakes.
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The concert, Fuller quickly realized, was being put on by none other than her ex-flame, country singer Chase Rice. (Yes — the same Chase Rice who held that widely-criticized pandemic concert this summer). "My heart sank because I didn't know what to do in that situation," Fuller told Viall. "I immediately saw him and he saw me and did one of those moments where he was like, [sighs] fuck." Viall pointed out that the show curiously edited that first moment of recognition out.
It was, understandably, really awkward. Fuller didn't want to ruin the moment, so she just smiled along meekly and tried not to flaunt her new relationship in front of Rice. She didn't tell Weber until after, and as you can imagine, things got uncomfortable. And Fuller got mad.
"After the concert, I went and met up with my producer — she had no fucking idea. But I remember looking over and seeing the camera zoomed in on me, and I was like, 'Oh I see, I see you motherfuckers,'" Fuller said. "A classic 'ask for forgiveness and not permission,'" Viall replied. "From then on, it was a shit show," Fuller said.
The former Bachelor contestant, who continued on the show until the final three, revealed that she and Rice hadn't been "boyfriend and girlfriend," but had seen each other for a couple months prior to the show. The producers made it seems like a coincidence, however: It was known that Rice had wanted to perform on the show for a while. Fuller didn't go into it too much, but noted, however, that while it's custom for talent to get booked months in advance, she knows for a fact that Rice was tapped to perform on The Bachelor just two weeks before her one-on-one date with Weber and had to drop one of his tour dates because of it. "They will plan everything in advance," Viall said, "but will move heaven and Earth on a dime — and they can — if need be."
"They're the best at adapting, that's their gift," Viall continued. "And they fucking got me, goddamnit," Fuller said, chuckling.