Clayton Echard, best known for his time on The Bachelor, never imagined his most intense and chaotic chapter would unfold after the cameras stopped rolling.
But that’s exactly what happened when a woman falsely accused him of getting her pregnant—a claim that spiraled into a two-year nightmare.
Now, with felony charges finally filed against his accuser, Clayton is speaking out, relieved and ready to move forward.
“I Finally Feel Vindicated”
In a candid chat with the Daily Mail, Clayton expressed overwhelming relief after prosecutors charged Laura Owens, the woman behind the false claims, with seven felony counts—including perjury, fraud, and tampering with evidence.
“I’m celebrating the vindication,” he said.
“For her to be facing seven felony charges is absolutely incredible.
It’s a level of accountability we didn’t think we’d see.”
Clayton, 32, said the charges gave both him and other alleged victims a sense of justice that had long felt out of reach.
A Bogus Claim and a Baffling Ordeal
Owens, 34, the daughter of retired Bay Area radio host Ronn Owens, initially claimed she became pregnant after an encounter with Clayton.
She even went as far as alleging a miscarriage.
But Clayton insists there was no intercourse involved, and the story took a turn for the bizarre when she allegedly fabricated a pregnancy.
“I have no idea what’s going on in her head,” he admitted. “I’ve never met someone like this.”
A Pattern of False Accusations?
This isn’t the first time Owens has faced similar allegations.
According to court documents and testimonies, multiple men—dating back to 2014—claim she faked pregnancies in an attempt to manipulate them.
A grand jury found these accusations credible enough to proceed with charges.
Echard’s legal team argues she’s run the same playbook several times.
“She’s doubled, tripled, quadrupled down,” Clayton said.
“And now she’s attacking the prosecutor, which is probably the worst thing you can do right before a trial.”
Battling a Smear Campaign
Reflecting on the past two years, Clayton admitted he struggled deeply—both emotionally and mentally. At times, the ordeal felt surreal.
“I kept thinking I’d wake up and realize it was just a nightmare.”
He believes Owens intentionally went public to destroy his reputation.
“It was a smear campaign,” he said. “I had to fight to restore who I was, not just in the public eye but within myself.”
Post-Bachelor Backlash and Mental Health Struggles
Clayton also opened up about the mental health toll he endured following The Bachelor, especially after being criticized for falling in love with three women at once and mishandling the situation.
“The hate messages were brutal,” he admitted.
“It made me question whether I was a good person at all.”
Those dark times ultimately led him to therapy—several different kinds—where he started to rebuild from the inside out.
Finding Strength in Adversity
Despite everything, Clayton doesn’t regret going on The Bachelor.
“I’m proud of my resilience,” he shared. “It taught me authenticity and showed me how to live life on my own terms.”
He also said the experience brought him closer to the people who really mattered.
“Seeing the love around me in my darkest moments reminded me how blessed I really am.”
Where Things Stand Now
Clayton is currently single, but not in a rush. “I’ve done the work on myself,” he said.
“I’ve been healing, growing, creating a life I’d want to share with someone.”
He joked that he’s not “banned” from dating, despite how the drama might’ve made it seem.
“If I have to stay single another year waiting for the right person, I’m okay with that.”
From Sales to Scottsdale Real Estate
These days, Clayton has pivoted from reality TV to a new career path.
He now works as a realtor in Scottsdale, Arizona, and also sells solar panels.
“I was always in sales, and real estate felt like a natural move,” he said.
“Plus, Arizona is sunny 90% of the year, so solar makes sense.”
Red Flags From the Start
Clayton recalled how he met Owens—through LinkedIn.
She claimed to be looking for a home, but he now suspects that was just a cover to get close.
Their initial meeting seemed normal, but he said her demeanor changed abruptly after they spent a night together.
“She went from emotional to stone cold in seconds,” he said.
“That’s when I knew something was off.”
A Pregnancy Claim Without Intercourse?
Despite never having intercourse, Owens later sent Clayton a positive pregnancy test and pressured him into dating her. He refused.
“She told me if I dated her, she’d get an abortion.
If I didn’t, she’d have the baby,” he recalled. She even drafted what Clayton described as a “dating contract.”
He believes she may have manipulated bodily fluids to fake the pregnancy.
“It’s the only thing that made sense,” he said. “The chance of getting pregnant that way is almost zero.”
Family Support—or Family Complicity?
Clayton said Owens’ parents supported her story.
Her mother allegedly defended her actions, and her father—once a prominent radio figure—didn’t intervene.
“I realized then the apple didn’t fall far from the tree,” Clayton said.
“Her whole family was complicit in this.”
Time to Move Forward
Now that the legal system is finally catching up, Clayton is ready to put the whole ordeal behind him.
“It’s been a long, exhausting journey,” he said.
“But I’m ready to live my life again—with peace, with purpose, and with the truth finally on my side.”