One Arizona Woman’s Fight Against A Reality TV Star

My freshman year of college, my roommates and I began watching The Bachelor as a conversation starter with the women we were interested in. Obviously, that plan failed miserably, but it did make us all massive fans of the show.

Now, a controversy tied to the wildly popular television series has emerged, and it's all happening right here in Arizona.

Tricking a TV Star

This all starts with Clayton Echard, who was a contestant on Season 18 of The Bachelorette before being selected as the star of Season 26 of The Bachelor in 2022. His life seemed to be on the way up, until a woman named Laura Owens from Phoenix, AZ showed up.

Owens claimed that Echard was the father of her child, much to his surprise. Owens began filing claims for child support, and seemed to have the evidence to prove that the child was, in fact, Echards, but that's where the story takes a turn.

Faking a Baby

Owens was determined to place Echard in the role of father, and did whatever it took to get there. Between 2023 and 2024, Owens put together the pieces of her master plan, including editing an ultrasound photo, faking pregnancy in a video, and lying numerous times under oath.

Ultimately, this all crashed down around her, and she has now been found guilty of Forgery, Perjury, tampering with evidence, and a litany of other felonies. Owens now awaits her court date, while Echard celebrates his life knowing he can move on from this scandal ridden few months. He was quoted saying "I am so ready to not have to think about this anymore."

[FOX10][@claytonechard via Instagram][Bachelor Nation on ABC via YouTube]