‘Bachelor’ Star Clayton Echard Celebrates Indictment Of Laura Owen, Who Falsely Claimed He Impregnated Her & Altered Ultrasound Image

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Emily BaxterMay 16, 2025, 6:52 pmHome Featured, News >

Season 26 star of The Bachelor, Clayton Echard, reacted to Laura Owen’s indictment, taking to social media to share the news with supporters.

“This is a weight of two years lifted off my shoulders. It feels good.”

Owens, the daughter of San Francisco Bay radio host Ronn Owens, initially filed a paternity suit against Echard in August 2023, claiming she became pregnant after a one-night stand with the reality star and sought child support. Echard insisted the two never had sexual relations, and Owens later dropped her claim after stating she suffered a miscarriage.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) opened an investigation into Owens in July 2024 following “several inconsistent statements” from her during her paternity hearing for Echard.

Arizona Judge Julie Ann Mata determined that Owens “knowingly presented a false claim, [and] knowingly violated a court order compelling disclosure or discovery,” and that her complaint was “premature at best” and, at worst, “fraudulent and made to incite communication, a relationship, or both, with [Echard].”

The Arizona native faces a seven-count indictment: one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of forgery, four counts of perjury and one count of tampering with physical evidence.

The MCAO claimed that from May 2023 to June 2024, Owens “altered an ultrasound image, fabricated a pregnancy video, and lied multiple times under oath.”

Owens shared a statement with Entertainment Weekly, denying that she faked her pregnancy and insisting that the charges were influenced by an online movement called “Justice for Clayton” that led a campaign of “coordinated harassment” and “misinformation” against her.

Owens also noted that the MCAO “did not charge me with faking a pregnancy. Instead, they are allowing that narrative to linger — encouraging the perception without making the allegation — because they know it cannot withstand scrutiny.”

“These charges appear to be the product of intense public pressure, not impartial judgment,” she continued. “They reflect a system that responded to online outrage, ignored procedural protections, and moved forward based on narrative rather than fact. It is difficult not to see them as part of a broader effort to discredit me, discourage me, and make an example out of me.”

In light of the indictment, Echard was granted his Petition for Non-Paternity and complete payment of his attorney’s fees. He reacted to the victory on his social media platforms.

“Justice is finally served,” he said on Instagram. “I am absolutely amped to share this news with you today. This nightmare is over. I am so ready to not have to think about this anymore.”

He made sure to thank fans and followers for standing by him.

“Thank you all for your continued support in helping me seek justice. It has been a long, tiresome road, but we have reached the endpoint of where we hoped to be. It’s nothing but celebratory dance moves for the foreseeable future from here on out.”