Chelsea Vaughn, who appeared on Bachelor in Paradise season 7, says Pieper James and Brendan Morais are a "normal couple" now that the show is over. Pieper and Brendan received a lot of backlash last season after their fellow BIP castmates discovered they were planning to reunite on the show. The pair had met prior to the reality series, with several news outlets claiming the two were dating. Brendan later denied they were ever serious while he was developing a relationship with Natasha Parker on the beach.

After Pieper arrived in Paradise, she decided to ask Brendan out on a date since she had a date card. While the couple had fun on their date, they made the mistake of opening talking about their social media followers while they had their microphones on. Brendan bragged to Pieper about the number of times her name was brought up on the show, while Pieper gushed about gaining more than 10,000 followers after a publication revealed they were dating. Viewers immediately turned on them, as well as some of the Bachelor Nation friends.

Related: Bachelor In Paradise: Pieper James & Brendan Morais Are ‘Still Together’

In a recent interview with Us Weekly, Chelsea opened up about the status of Pieper and Brendan's relationship. While they have had their ups and downs over the past few months, the reality TV duo is doing better than ever. "They’re just living their lives like a normal couple," Chelsea told the news outlet at the Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation’s Young Professionals Committee Fall Gala on November 5. "But she’s doing good, we’re doing good." The 28-year-old became close with Pieper while competing for Matt James on his season of The Bachelorand they continued to maintain that closeness on BIP together this summer. Despite the backlash the 24-year-old received for her relationship with Brendan, Chelsea hasn't turned on her friend.

Matt James Chelsea Vaughn The Bachelor

"Pieper and I are good friends," the New York native revealed while at the gala, which was hosted by former Bachelorette winner Dale Moss. "It’s not a secret, and I’ve told her everything I need to tell her personally [...] we’re always trying to move past Bachelor in Paradise and live our normal, happy lives." Pieper caused a commotion on BIP this summer after she asked Brendan out on a date who already established a connection with Natasha, who said his relationship with Pieper was never serious. After Natasha confronted Pieper about her relationship with Brendan, the Oregan native said she and the commercial roofer had gone on ten dates outside of BIP. After they were both accused of using their relationship to gain a social media following, they both decided to leave Paradise.

Chelsea has been around Pieper and Brendan quite a bit since leaving Bachelor in Paradise over the summer and believes they are a good match. Despite running the experience and losing the trust of their fellow castmates, Pieper and Brendan have managed to keep their relationship afloat. Now they are focusing on building a solid relationship and not on their social media following.

Next: Bachelor In Paradise: Brendan & Pieper Unfollow Each Other On Instagram

Source: Us Weekly