1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: When you think of a paternity scandal, this is probably 2 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: what comes to mind. 3 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 2: Sir, you are not. The five. 4 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: Men have a millennia old reputation for refusing parental responsibilities. 5 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 1: It can destroy families and alter the course of lives. 6 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: As Maury Povich proved, a paternity test is the ultimate 7 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: dramatic reveal. It's a definitive answer, a yes or no. 8 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: But what happened to Clayton eckered? Isn't that simple? 9 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:37,199 Speaker 3: I said, okay, hey, we got to do the paternity 10 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 3: test that's coming up. And then she's making excuses and 11 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 3: saying like, I don't think I really need to do this. 12 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 3: I already know you're the father. I haven't done with 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 3: anybody else, so I'm not going to do it. I'm 14 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 3: not going to waste my money. I'll just wait until 15 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:49,319 Speaker 3: the due date. 16 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: I'm Stephanie Young and this is love trapped there. 17 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:02,000 Speaker 2: No, you'd better believe. 18 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: I'll be razy ho hellas if you ever, ever, ever ever. 19 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:14,959 Speaker 2: Try to. 20 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: On May twentieth, twenty twenty three, Clayton invited a woman 21 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: named Laura Owens over to his house. They'd been flirting 22 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: over text. According to Clayton, they had oral sex that night, 23 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: not penetrative sex. Then just eleven days later, Laura had 24 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: news she was pregnant and she was sure the baby 25 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: was his. 26 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 3: I was having a hard time believing it because we 27 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 3: didn't have sex, so I wanted her to take a 28 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 3: test in front of me so that I could see 29 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 3: you with my own eyes. 30 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: Laura came over to his place to take another pregnancy test. 31 00:01:59,120 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: It was positive. 32 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 3: Bab my hand pressing against my forehead, elbows on the countertop. 33 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 3: I'm leaning over the sink and I'm just in disbelief, 34 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 3: and she's just like, how are you feeling? 35 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 2: She starts rubbing my back. I'm like, is this real? 36 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:16,919 Speaker 2: And in a moment, I was like, fuck, she is pregnant. 37 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,639 Speaker 1: On one hand, Clayton believed his own eyes. He believed 38 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:23,839 Speaker 1: the proof he was now seeing right in front of him, 39 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: and I'm. 40 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 2: Like, I'm sorry. She's like for what I said, for 41 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 2: not believing you. I dought you were lying. 42 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: On the other hand, Laura had been behaving erradically since 43 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: their hookup, so much so that he decided to block 44 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: her phone number. But now she was in his house, 45 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: positive pregnancy test in hand, and she was distraught. 46 00:02:44,919 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 3: We sat down on my couch and talked for probably 47 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 3: an hour and a half two hours, and I was 48 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 3: reassuring her. 49 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 2: The entire time. 50 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: It was almost reflexive to comfort her and tell her 51 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: it was going to be okay. But something about Laura 52 00:02:58,200 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: felt off. 53 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 3: It felt a little bit forced, or it felt a 54 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,800 Speaker 3: little bit like it was a production. There was an 55 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 3: element of insincerity. 56 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,040 Speaker 1: Nevertheless, he told Laura he would unblock her number and 57 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: they would figure it out. After a few hours. She left. 58 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: When he shut the door behind her, reality sunk back in. 59 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 1: There was no way she could be pregnant. He replayed 60 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 1: the night of the hookup in his memory, and his 61 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: mind went to extreme places. She'd run to the bathroom 62 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: right after the blowjob. What had happened behind that bathroom door? 63 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: Was there some way she could have impregnated herself. 64 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 3: I was ninety nine point nine percent sure she wasn't pregnant. 65 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:52,280 Speaker 3: Unfortunately for me, there was one point one percent chance 66 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 3: of doubt that I was like, maybe she got it 67 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 3: there in quick enough time when she went to the bathroom. 68 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 3: Maybe she had a syringe on hand that I was 69 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 3: unaware of. There's a small chance. I don't believe it, 70 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 3: but I can't fully rule it out. 71 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: Then he got an email. It was from Laura. 72 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 4: Don't bother reading this. If you don't want to have 73 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 4: the dating conversation. 74 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: Her emails are being read by a voice actor. 75 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 4: If you don't want to try things, that's fine, But 76 00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 4: if I'm alone, either way, the abortion is off the table. 77 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 4: I strongly believe that, regardless of your feelings for me, 78 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 4: it's unfair to the child to not be exposed to 79 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 4: both parents. 80 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: The messages were bizarre and they kept coming. 81 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 4: You act like it would be a punishment to date me, 82 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 4: but I bring a lot to the table. 83 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 3: My exact thought was, either I'm dealing with the craziest 84 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 3: woman I have ever met, or I'm dealing with someone 85 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 3: that's telling the truth, and there's really no one between. 86 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: Clayton's plan was to figure it out on his own 87 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: before anyone online got wind of the situation. He was 88 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 1: a public figure. This could be a huge reputation blow. 89 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 2: If the scroll goes to the media. 90 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 3: It's just going to be a pain in the ass 91 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 3: because we have to wait on the paternity test, which 92 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 3: is going to take some time. 93 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 2: It's something that I'm going to be fighting up. He'll 94 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 2: battle on. 95 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 1: He started frantically googling. Maybe this was a misunderstanding, maybe 96 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 1: there was another explanation. 97 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 3: She had mentioned that she had epilepsy, and so I 98 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 3: just had this feeling of you need to google epilepsy 99 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 3: medications and see if there's any correlation between epilepsy meds 100 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 3: and hCG, which is the pregnancy hormone. And I googled that, 101 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 3: and sure enough, there was a correlation where certain medications 102 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 3: could cause elevated levels of hCG. When I saw that, 103 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 3: that was the bingo. This is what's going on. Maybe 104 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:02,600 Speaker 3: she's not lying, she's just not aware that her medications 105 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 3: are causing this, and so it's a false positive. 106 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: Clayton told me he emailed Laura to let her know 107 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,679 Speaker 1: this could be a possibility, and less than two hours later, 108 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: Laura responded. 109 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 3: She said she placed a quick call to her doctor, 110 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:22,279 Speaker 3: and her doctor told her that it's extremely rare to 111 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 3: happen at all, and if that were to happen, it 112 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 3: would be when someone just started it. 113 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: Laura was adamant that it wasn't a false positive. She 114 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 1: really was pregnant and it was his. She told him 115 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: multiple times that she hadn't been with anyone else in 116 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 1: over a year. At this point, Clayton is desperate for 117 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: concrete answers. First, he just needed proof of pregnancy, and 118 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: the easiest way to get that is with an ultrasound 119 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: at the doctor's office. 120 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:57,680 Speaker 3: We talked about doing an ultrasound so that I could 121 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 3: get visual proof that she was in fact pregnant. 122 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: Laura made an appointment for an ultrasound, but right before 123 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 1: the day came, she canceled it. Her sister couldn't make it, 124 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: and Laura wanted her there. 125 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 3: That was the first cancelation, and then she's like every 126 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 3: scheduled for this date. 127 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: I've seen these messages. Clayton was trying his best to 128 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: be as flexible with the doctor's appointment as possible. If 129 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: she was pregnant, this was the only way he could 130 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: get the confirmation he needed. But Laura changed her mind 131 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: again and said she didn't want him at the doctor's appointment. 132 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 3: My pushback was okay, well I'll FaceTime you from the 133 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,240 Speaker 3: doctor's office. 134 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: Then Laura threw a grenade, something that caught Clayton off 135 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: guard and changed the tone of their entire conversation. 136 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 3: She ended up saying, Hey, I'm scared for my safety. 137 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 3: I'm going to reschedule it, but I don't want you 138 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 3: showing up and potentially harming me. 139 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: Clayton couldn't believe what she was saying, and he was offended. 140 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: He was only asking for transparency and real answers. Just 141 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: a few days before, Laura said she wanted him to 142 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: be involved. 143 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 2: I'm like, are you kidding me? I've never once threatened you. 144 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 3: Now you're trying to say that, like your friend, I'm 145 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 3: gonna get physical in a doctor's office of all places. 146 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 3: In general, I've never put my hands on a woman. 147 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 3: But I was like, now you're basically stating you're fearful 148 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 3: for your safety. 149 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: It was a red flag, but Clayton was committed to 150 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: getting an answer from a doctor that was the right 151 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 1: next step. 152 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 3: Then it was no, I don't want you to know 153 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:32,319 Speaker 3: like when I'm going at all. So then again it 154 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 3: was just excuse after excuse, and it was like, I 155 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,559 Speaker 3: need some type of proof, and she just wouldn't oblige 156 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:39,199 Speaker 3: to anything that I said. 157 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: The harder he pushed for proof, the more volatile Laura became. 158 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 3: You have no idea what was going on behind the scenes, 159 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 3: and I have all of the receipts to prove it. 160 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,120 Speaker 1: The back and forth about the ultrasound was only the 161 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: tip of the iceberg. After she told Clayton she was pregnant, 162 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: Laura sent him a lot of mixed messages about keeping 163 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: the baby. Most of them were emails. Actually this went 164 00:09:07,559 --> 00:09:10,720 Speaker 1: on for four months. I decided to take a page 165 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: out of Clayton's book and asked him if he could 166 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: show them to me in person. A few days later, 167 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 1: I flew to Arizona and was back at Clayton's house. 168 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 1: I want to talk about where we left off with 169 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:27,199 Speaker 1: this story. You've kind of told me that there was 170 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: a lot going on from June to let's say September 171 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: of that year. Can you show me what you're talking about? 172 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:33,719 Speaker 2: Oh? 173 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, I have it all stored here on a 174 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 3: drive called the LO file for Laura Owens. 175 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 2: Okay, any time that I've spoken with Laura is all 176 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 2: right here. 177 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 1: There is a folder pretty much for every single day 178 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: from June all the way through like the end of October. 179 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: I cannot stress enough how many messages are in these folders. 180 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:00,680 Speaker 1: There are hundreds. Having the receipts is an understatement. 181 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 3: Some days there were ten messages, some days there was 182 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 3: just one. There was probably less than five times where 183 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 3: there was a day or two where she didn't send anything, 184 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 3: but those days were far and few in between. 185 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: The messages unsettled him so much that he started cataloging them. 186 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: Here are a few subject lines from those early emails. 187 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 4: June twenty fifth, went to the abortion clinic. Important June 188 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 4: twenty eighth, having the baby. If I don't hear back 189 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:34,199 Speaker 4: tonight July first, the final opportunity to consider abortion. 190 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:36,800 Speaker 2: The messages would come in. 191 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,959 Speaker 3: I would screenshot them, I would put that day's date, 192 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 3: and then i'd put it in the folder. I put 193 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:45,199 Speaker 3: my own responses just so I could have a full 194 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 3: track record, because I felt I need to have evidence 195 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:54,000 Speaker 3: of all of our communications because who knows what she's 196 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 3: going to eventually accuse me of. 197 00:10:57,320 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: How are you handling that? And how is your mental 198 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:01,920 Speaker 1: health doing at this time? Were you trying to work? 199 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 1: How do you even go about your day? If these 200 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:06,079 Speaker 1: keep flooding in, I. 201 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,439 Speaker 3: Couldn't help but read them because I had to extract 202 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 3: information from them to understand where she was going with 203 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 3: her next move. But it was tough because yeah, I'd 204 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 3: be at work and I couldn't help. 205 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 2: But like, check my email every hour. 206 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 3: It's as if someone tells you that I'm going to 207 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 3: send you a message with test results in the next 208 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 3: twenty four hours. I'm not sure when it'll come in, 209 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 3: but yeah, we can all relate to that, just waiting 210 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 3: looking at your messages, being like when's this coming through? 211 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:36,679 Speaker 3: And the second you hear the ding, you're like, oh 212 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,960 Speaker 3: my gosh, this is it. That's how I felt all 213 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 3: the time, because it was just like, when's this next 214 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,800 Speaker 3: message coming and how serious is it going to be. 215 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: Clayton was on edge. It wasn't just about whether or 216 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: not she was pregnant. He'd just gone through the hardest 217 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: year of his life and felt like the media was 218 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 1: hungry for any scandal around him. This would deliver it 219 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:01,959 Speaker 1: on a silver place, and Laura seemed to know that. 220 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 1: She even told Clayton that when she was at his 221 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 1: apartment to take the pregnancy test, that she'd recorded the 222 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 1: entire conversation. 223 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 3: She had her phone in her purse and it was 224 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 3: recording the entire time. She mentioned that to me as 225 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 3: like a threat to say that she was going to 226 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 3: go public. 227 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: Clayton did not want any kind of press about the situation. 228 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: He decided he could handle it himself. The weeks dragged 229 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:29,560 Speaker 1: into months. The whole time, Clayton felt like he was 230 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:33,600 Speaker 1: trying to quietly diffuse a bomb. Were you fighting this 231 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: battle alone? Like at this point had you told anyone 232 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:38,719 Speaker 1: in your life what was going on? 233 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 3: I really truly was waking up every day dealing with 234 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 3: this and having nobody to help me through because I 235 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 3: was ashamed. 236 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 2: I saw the. 237 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 3: Emotions that I elicited from my family following the whole 238 00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 3: Bachelor experience. 239 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 2: And they are the ones that. 240 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 3: I would bring it to. I took a show that 241 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:10,439 Speaker 3: was my mom's favorite and turned it into a show 242 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 3: that she despised, a show that made her sick to 243 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 3: her stomach. No matter how much I wanted to have 244 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:21,200 Speaker 3: support in this scenario, to me, it would have felt 245 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:22,960 Speaker 3: selfish to bring them back in. 246 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:27,200 Speaker 1: It became clear that these emails had a strong effect 247 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 1: on Clayton and that I'd be at his place for 248 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: a week if I tried to read every email in 249 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 1: one sitting. He was kind enough to share the file 250 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: with me so I could go through each email carefully. 251 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: I took the l file home with me to start 252 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: combing through it myself. Some of these emails have never 253 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: been made public before. 254 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 3: That's the thing with Laura is I kept just getting 255 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 3: more intense with every single email. 256 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: Later, these messages would be introduced as evidence in court. 257 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 1: Here's Laura Owens herself during a court deposition, reading one 258 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: of the emails she sent Clayton. 259 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:03,839 Speaker 5: It occurred to me that you might believe me more 260 00:14:03,880 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 5: about paternity if you were inside of me and felt 261 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 5: how tight I was after not having sex in more 262 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 5: than a year. Maybe then you'd believe I hadn't been 263 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:10,880 Speaker 5: sleeping around. 264 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: Messages like this stopped me in my tracks. I didn't 265 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: know what I'd gotten myself into, but I knew I 266 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: had to keep going. When I started reading the screenshots 267 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: of messages between Clayton and Laura, I was dumbfounded. After 268 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 1: I spent weeks going through each and every message, I 269 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: decided to meet Clayton again to discuss them. Like I said, 270 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: some of these have never been made public before. She 271 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: kept saying in these emails that she has proven time 272 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 1: and time again that she's pregnant. She has showed you 273 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: so much proof. She has sent a drop box link. 274 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: Can you tell me what that proof actually was? 275 00:15:01,680 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 2: That was the thing that She's like, I've sent you 276 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 2: all this proof. I'm like, what proof. 277 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 3: You've sent me a doctor's note, You've sent me a 278 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 3: pregnancy test, and I'm like, I think you're trying to 279 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:14,120 Speaker 3: convince me you've proven me. You have these hard facts, 280 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 3: which you don't like. You keep saying you've shown all 281 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 3: the proof, but there's nothing here. It's all just your words. 282 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: My sister called me at eight weeks pregnant to tell 283 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 1: me she was pregnant with a photo of an ultrasound. 284 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 2: On face times when we would do right, like. 285 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 1: I mean, it was so simple to prove it, which 286 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: is concerning that she wouldn't just send you an ultrasound 287 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: because you were begging for proof in these emails. 288 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, look like I really did want just something. 289 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 3: I was like, either show me something or show me nothing, 290 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 3: like I'm tired of playing the games. I'm tired of 291 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 3: playing Like, well I will if this, I'm like, no, no, no, no, 292 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 3: if this, then statements like just do it or don't 293 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 3: like I'm and that's where I was like, it really 294 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 3: should be super simple, right, Your doctor that you just 295 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 3: saw should be able to take a phone call with 296 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 3: me right now. And if I'm the actual father, then 297 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 3: it's my right to be able to have this conversation. 298 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 1: He's right, and he brings up another important point about 299 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: if he's actually the father. We'll get to that in 300 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 1: a minute. As far as I can see in all 301 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: their messages, the proof Laura was sending him was mostly 302 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: in the form of photos and a few videos of herself, 303 00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: like this one where she's standing in her bron underwear 304 00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: showing her protruded stomach to the camera. 305 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 5: I am just trying to show you that I am pregnant, 306 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 5: and I wanted to do this on video so that 307 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 5: you didn't think that I was photoshopping anything in. 308 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 1: The video is over four minutes long. She turns from 309 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: side to side to show him her stomach. 310 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 2: Here's the tour. 311 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: You can see my front. 312 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 5: You can see the line there that women get that 313 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,840 Speaker 5: pregnant women get. I'm starting to get. You can see 314 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 5: from here I have a stomach right. 315 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: This video came in response to Clayton again asking for 316 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,360 Speaker 1: proof of her pregnancy. At this point, he'd been asking 317 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:10,359 Speaker 1: for over a month. 318 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:12,200 Speaker 6: I hope you realize this is all real. 319 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:17,119 Speaker 1: The pictures and videos weren't the medical confirmation Clayton wanted, 320 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 1: but they did make him question his own certainty. 321 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 3: Every time I would see a physical image, it would 322 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,440 Speaker 3: just like cycle back to maybe there is some truth 323 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 3: to this. 324 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 1: At first, Laura said she would give him any of 325 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:34,399 Speaker 1: the medical confirmation and to say in the decision making 326 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: if he did something she wanted. This one is highlighted 327 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:42,360 Speaker 1: and flagged in this folder. I want you to read 328 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: the highlighted part starting at the bold. 329 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 3: Oh yes, yeah, I would like to get together tomorrow 330 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 3: night to talk and explore intimacy. It's time for you 331 00:17:56,119 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 3: to make an effort if that is something we are considering. 332 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 3: I would love to have sex in the future and 333 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 3: feel like I am the safest person you could have 334 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 3: sex with since I'm pregnant. But if you really think that, 335 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:11,639 Speaker 3: like you said yesterday, my goal was to date and 336 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 3: get pregnant during this time, we can absolutely hold off 337 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 3: on it. However, it occurred to me that you might 338 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 3: believe me more about paternity if you were inside of 339 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 3: me and felt how tight I would be after not 340 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:28,120 Speaker 3: having sex in more than a year. Maybe then you'd 341 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:31,520 Speaker 3: believe I hadn't been sleeping around. And again, you wouldn't 342 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 3: be doing me any big favor. Having sex with me 343 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 3: is a privilege and not something I have done. 344 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 2: For a long time. 345 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 1: There's a lot to unpack that. 346 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:43,920 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, I mean, oh man, I remember that when 347 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 3: that message came through. 348 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,120 Speaker 1: I had a moment during this conversation with Clayton where 349 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,240 Speaker 1: I really couldn't believe this was my job and this 350 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 1: is what I was talking to the former bachelor about. 351 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 1: It's also interesting too where she says it also occurred 352 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,679 Speaker 1: to me that if you felt how tight I was, 353 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 1: if you were inside of me, to me, that's signifying 354 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: that she's saying you hadn't been inside. 355 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 2: Of me before. That was her admitting it. 356 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:14,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, Like she said so much, so many times, 357 00:19:14,840 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 3: she started to basic trip over her own story, and 358 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 3: that was a moment where I go, well, you just 359 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:24,479 Speaker 3: admitted to not having sex with me, because you're saying 360 00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:27,040 Speaker 3: if only I felt how tight you were, meaning I 361 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 3: haven't felt it yet. 362 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:32,160 Speaker 1: Were you reading the whole thing? This one is. 363 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 2: Pages long? Yeah? 364 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 3: I did read every single line, because again I'm now 365 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 3: reading into the mind of somebody to try to understand 366 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:46,120 Speaker 3: where my out is. She forecasts a lot of times 367 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 3: these were things where I was looking at every sentence 368 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 3: being like, where is she going? And can I get 369 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 3: ahead of it before she gets there? 370 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: But that wasn't always possible because Laura threw some curveballs. 371 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,520 Speaker 2: There is a dating contract that was sent to me 372 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 2: by Laura. 373 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: Can you what is go back? What's a dating contract? 374 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,520 Speaker 2: Well, it was new to me. I've never signed one before. 375 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:10,720 Speaker 1: This was something she wanted you to sign. 376 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:11,200 Speaker 2: Yes. 377 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 3: Yes, an official document that she wanted me to sign. 378 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:19,879 Speaker 3: It was written in a formal format and it's said 379 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,199 Speaker 3: that if you date me for one week, then I 380 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 3: will have an abortion, but if you don't date me, 381 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 3: then I'm having the kid. 382 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 1: This dating contract has a sixteen point list of demands, 383 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 1: and while it looks like a formal legal document and 384 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:39,760 Speaker 1: attempts to use formal legal jargon, it includes highly unusual 385 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:43,040 Speaker 1: stipulations like this one read by a voice actor. 386 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 4: For a period of one week while determining the best 387 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 4: course of action for their pregnancy. Party A and party 388 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:55,280 Speaker 4: B will exclusively explore a relationship with intention meaning with 389 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 4: the goal of it turning into something long lasting and meaningful, 390 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 4: and there is no obligation for the relationship to work 391 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,240 Speaker 4: out beyond the one week. However, if it is apparent 392 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:08,040 Speaker 4: that the agreement was entered into for the wrong reasons, 393 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 4: evidenced by abuse of any kind, verbal, emotional, or physical. 394 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:16,040 Speaker 4: It is null and void. 395 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:20,720 Speaker 2: I'm like, I can't believe I'm reading this. Is there 396 00:21:20,720 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 2: any validity to this? 397 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 3: Again, It's like you're seeing something for the very first 398 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 3: time and you're in disbelief that it's actually something that 399 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:31,600 Speaker 3: you're reading. 400 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: Laura sent this dating contract after she told Clayton she 401 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:37,600 Speaker 1: was too scared of him to tell him when the 402 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:41,680 Speaker 1: ultrasound appointment was. There's no clear logic to her requests. 403 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:46,080 Speaker 1: It's chaos in the dating contract. She even offered to 404 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:49,879 Speaker 1: compensate Clayton with one hundred thousand dollars if he's proven 405 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:53,480 Speaker 1: not to be the father. As I read through the emails, 406 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:57,679 Speaker 1: I realized at a certain point Laura isn't even talking 407 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 1: about a baby anymore. For his part, Clayton is just 408 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:04,399 Speaker 1: trying to get the messages to stop. He replied to 409 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:07,960 Speaker 1: Laura's dating contract with a contract of his own, one 410 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 1: where he's trying to get her to cease all communication. 411 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,480 Speaker 1: And you said, this is what I'm willing to offer you, 412 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:18,200 Speaker 1: since I want to give you grace and an opportunity 413 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 1: to let this all go. Away, and you said, I 414 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:25,400 Speaker 1: really think you need to consider this document, and what's 415 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:32,159 Speaker 1: in your document is also very professional party A party B. 416 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I used to her language. 417 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: And basically you have a couple of terms and stipulations 418 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: on there. But all you wanted her to do was 419 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:43,919 Speaker 1: was sign that. And you said that upon signature, you 420 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: cease communication and that you'll keep everything confidential indefinitely. I'll text, 421 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: phone calls, images, emails that have been exchanged between both 422 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: parties as long as it's signed. Did she sign that? 423 00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 6: No? 424 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:04,360 Speaker 3: Now, that was her out. That was her out. I 425 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,560 Speaker 3: was willing to bury all of it up until that point, 426 00:23:07,600 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 3: all of the emotional abuse, all of the manipulation, all 427 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 3: of the time wasted. 428 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:18,640 Speaker 2: I was willing to bury it all in that moment. 429 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:22,160 Speaker 3: And I was giving her an out where I was 430 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 3: telling her, look, you've messed up. Okay, you've taken this 431 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 3: act too far, and I already have enough grounds to 432 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,879 Speaker 3: sue you or at least like get you into some trouble. 433 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 3: But yet I'm willing to drop it all and just 434 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:41,719 Speaker 3: act like it never happened. So just sign this, please, Like, 435 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:43,960 Speaker 3: I really don't want to have to take this any further. 436 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 3: Can we just be done. 437 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: The answer was no. Clayton didn't know it at the time, 438 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 1: but this nightmare was only just beginning. 439 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 2: He says. 440 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 1: One of the most uncomfortable parts was when Laura used 441 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:00,000 Speaker 1: an abortion as a bargain. 442 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 3: It just was so frustrating because I had told her 443 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:07,719 Speaker 3: I don't want to have a child with you. So 444 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 3: put two and two together, it's pretty obvious what my 445 00:24:11,359 --> 00:24:14,640 Speaker 3: stance on this is take the pills and that's it. 446 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 3: I just told her one time over and then it 447 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 3: was like. 448 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 2: Well, I'll take them. Well, man, I'm not going to. 449 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:20,159 Speaker 2: Well if we do this, maybe I will. Now I 450 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 2: have them again. I threw them away. Now I have 451 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,400 Speaker 2: them back. Oh, just kind of threw them away. Oh, 452 00:24:24,560 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 2: now I have them back. And it was really really frustrating. 453 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:29,400 Speaker 3: At that point, I was already like just very anxious 454 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 3: and stressed, like I'm not playing the game with you. 455 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 1: He started to notice patterns in her behavior. 456 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:40,679 Speaker 3: I mean, there's empty threats. There's also the theme of 457 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:44,680 Speaker 3: like no response equalling a response. That was another one 458 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,160 Speaker 3: that surfaced multiple times, Like. 459 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:50,200 Speaker 1: That subject line that says if I don't hear back, 460 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 1: I'm having the baby. 461 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 2: Yes, there's one right there. 462 00:24:53,320 --> 00:24:56,800 Speaker 3: And that also feeds into the deadline theme, which is 463 00:24:56,880 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 3: another thing that she would also constantly is like, here's 464 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 3: this date. If I don't hear back from you by then, 465 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:07,120 Speaker 3: then this will happen. And as time went on, it's 466 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 3: like things would escalate. 467 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: He says he felt trapped. If he did respond, he 468 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 1: would be re engaging with someone who was increasingly erratic. 469 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:19,360 Speaker 1: But if he didn't respond, then he'd be missing some 470 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:23,639 Speaker 1: fabricated deadline she'd just set In the back of his mind. 471 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 1: Was that point zero one percent chance that question about 472 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: what Laura had been doing in the bathroom right after 473 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:33,680 Speaker 1: their hookup, the almost impossible chance that she was really 474 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: pregnant with his baby or pregnant by someone else and 475 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: trying to pin it on him. Something we haven't talked 476 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: about yet is the constant legal threats, ultimatums, and handcrafted 477 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: legal documents Laura was sending him. The documents look official, 478 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,880 Speaker 1: but they're not. To double down on this, she sent 479 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:55,960 Speaker 1: Clayton a PDF of an attorney's fee agreement she'd paid. 480 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:59,760 Speaker 1: She added, quote, money truly isn't an object for me. 481 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: That scared Clayton because for him, money didn't grow on trees. 482 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: And the legal threats kept coming. She even alleged consulting 483 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: a business lawyer for what happened with Clayton and the 484 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:16,080 Speaker 1: investment properties he showed her. Her email started coming with 485 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:20,199 Speaker 1: threats of police action or legal action. In one email, 486 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: she demands Clayton respond within the hour to avoid her 487 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:27,400 Speaker 1: filing a police report against him. Then she claims she's 488 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:29,119 Speaker 1: going to go to the police to report him for 489 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: domestic violence. I need to say. Clayton vehemently denies that 490 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: he was ever physically abusive. In fact, he says he 491 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,159 Speaker 1: hadn't seen her in person since she came to his 492 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: place to take the pregnancy test. I asked him about 493 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:47,199 Speaker 1: this threat directly. I want to know more about this 494 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: threat to report you for domestic violence. You weren't seeing 495 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:53,160 Speaker 1: her in person, so where did this even come from. 496 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,480 Speaker 3: I believe she was claiming it was emotional abuse. She 497 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 3: obviously knew I never put my hands on her. She 498 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 3: was like, yeah, I'm gonna file this. It's like, there's 499 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:04,560 Speaker 3: no way for what There's literally nothing I've done. 500 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:07,800 Speaker 1: There's even a legal waiver at the bottom of an 501 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: email stating if after proof of opening is obtained, I 502 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:14,359 Speaker 1: choose not to respond to this email. I am confirming 503 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: that its content is true. This includes my acknowledgment of paternity. 504 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: How would she have proof of the email being opened? 505 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 3: She put mail trackers with read receipts on all of 506 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,720 Speaker 3: her emails. I didn't know that until later on, and 507 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:30,639 Speaker 3: I'm like, damn it, she has a read receipt on 508 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:31,120 Speaker 3: that's why. 509 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:35,400 Speaker 1: Then on August first, after almost two months of back 510 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: and forth, Laura went all in. She filed a petition 511 00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: to establish paternity in the Maricopa County Superior Court. That 512 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: filing made their dispute a matter of the public record. 513 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:50,680 Speaker 1: This was the very thing Clayton had been trying desperately 514 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: to avoid. He felt like the bomb was about to 515 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:55,200 Speaker 1: detonate in his hands. 516 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:57,600 Speaker 2: At that point, I was like, damn it, how do 517 00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:59,119 Speaker 2: I respond? I don't know. I don't know how to 518 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 2: go to court and respond this. So I end up 519 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:03,399 Speaker 2: calling a family law. 520 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:05,679 Speaker 3: Company that I googled, and I said, look, I just 521 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:06,160 Speaker 3: need you. 522 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 2: To help me file this on my behalf. 523 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:09,880 Speaker 3: So I paid like five hundred dollars for an hour 524 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:13,200 Speaker 3: and they gave me the response, and then I carried 525 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 3: that to the courthouse and submitted it. 526 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:19,119 Speaker 1: Clayton submitted his response to her petition to establish paternity 527 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:21,960 Speaker 1: a few weeks later, stating Laura was making up the 528 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:22,879 Speaker 1: entire claim. 529 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 3: I decided in that moment to just go with it, 530 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 3: and I figured, hey, like show me the evidence. 531 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 2: Why can't you show me that you're pregnant. 532 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 1: It still felt like a gamble, but Clayton decided to 533 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 1: take the chance and say on the record that he 534 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:38,640 Speaker 1: believed Laura was fabricating the pregnancy. 535 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 3: I said, Hey, I'm going to put all my chips 536 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 3: on black and if I am right, then great. If 537 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 3: I'm wrong, then I will actively destroy my own reputation. 538 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 1: After months he hadn't seen any medical proof, he was 539 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:57,000 Speaker 1: done giving her any benefit of the doubt, and he 540 00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 1: adopted a new tactic. 541 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 3: I was just now trying to play her game better 542 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 3: than she was playing it. 543 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 1: That turned out to be a grave miscalculation because Laura 544 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 1: was always one step ahead. 545 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 3: She said something along the lines of, Hey, just so 546 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:17,600 Speaker 3: you know, the twin Jean runs in my family. 547 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: After two months of back and forth with Laura Owens, 548 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:37,360 Speaker 1: Clayton opened the door to a police officer he'd been served. 549 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:41,239 Speaker 1: It was a paternity claim filed by Laura, but at 550 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 1: this point Clayton hadn't seen any medical proof of the pregnancy. 551 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 1: He was done humoring her. 552 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:49,640 Speaker 2: She successfully served me the papers. 553 00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 3: I ended up like talking to somebody close to me 554 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 3: and said, well, I'm just gonna throw them away. 555 00:29:55,280 --> 00:29:56,360 Speaker 2: They said you can't do that. 556 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:58,920 Speaker 3: They said, like, if you throw these papers away, the 557 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 3: judge will submit it default judgment and they'll likely assume 558 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 3: it's truthful. So I was like, really, so I google it. 559 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 3: Sure enough, it's like, yeah, I know. If you don't 560 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 3: show up, they're going to basically assume you're the guilty 561 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 3: party and they'll rule in favor of the one that 562 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:11,640 Speaker 3: served the papers. 563 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 1: I decided to reach out to family law attorneys in 564 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 1: Arizona to understand the legal process for establishing paternity. 565 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 2: There. 566 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:23,520 Speaker 1: They told me, and I was surprised by this, you 567 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: don't have to provide medical proof of a pregnancy to 568 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 1: file a paternity claim in Arizona. The only requirement is 569 00:30:30,880 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: signing an affidavit stating that you're pregnant. Paternity is then 570 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:38,440 Speaker 1: proved either by agreement of the parties or by DNA confirmation, 571 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 1: but in the legal system, it is generally the burden 572 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: of the father to take the lead and establish paternity 573 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 1: so that rights can be confirmed. Some men will file 574 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,920 Speaker 1: that action during a pregnancy, but it usually happens after birth. 575 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:56,720 Speaker 1: In this case, Laura signed the affidavit asserting she was pregnant. 576 00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: She began taking measures to legally establish the pregnants and 577 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: the baby's father while she was still in the first trimester. 578 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:08,719 Speaker 1: It's usually never done that way. Before this point, Clayton 579 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 1: had been more concerned about finding out if she was 580 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:15,200 Speaker 1: really pregnant, but now he was legally and financially implicated 581 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 1: in a paternity claim, so that brought up a new question. 582 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: If she was pregnant, was he the father? Then Laura 583 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:26,360 Speaker 1: doubled down, literally, she. 584 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 3: Said something along the lines if she has the twin 585 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,280 Speaker 3: gene in her family. So I knew again she always 586 00:31:30,280 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 3: would prep something so she warms you up to the 587 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 3: idea of it. So she warmed me up to the 588 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:36,440 Speaker 3: idea of the twins, where she said, Hey, just so 589 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:37,959 Speaker 3: you know, the twin gene runs in my family. 590 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,200 Speaker 1: Clayton had a hunch about what Laura was going to 591 00:31:41,240 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 1: say next. Within a few weeks, she followed through and 592 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 1: told him she was not only pregnant, she was pregnant 593 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:49,240 Speaker 1: with twins. 594 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 3: I think part of it was so overwhelmed, right, Like 595 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 3: to scare a man into being like, oh, hey, by 596 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 3: the way, it's not just one, it's two. 597 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 2: That's double the responsibility. But that wasn't the fear for me. 598 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:00,479 Speaker 3: I'm like, the whole fear behind this is first off, 599 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,520 Speaker 3: I don't believe you, But if by chance you actually 600 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,720 Speaker 3: got pregnant, I'm not afraid of how many kids. 601 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 2: I'm afraid of you. 602 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:12,680 Speaker 1: Clayton wanted to take the paternity test right away so 603 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:14,360 Speaker 1: we could prove that he wasn't the father. 604 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:19,120 Speaker 3: So as she states there's twins, She's like, there's not 605 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,840 Speaker 3: a testing facility that will test on twins. I've looked, 606 00:32:23,400 --> 00:32:25,960 Speaker 3: and they won't do it because there's potential for the 607 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 3: children to have separate fathers. I'm like, you can't be serious. 608 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 1: It's true that a lot of prenatal paternity testing companies 609 00:32:33,760 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 1: won't test when there's twins. There's a remote possibility of 610 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 1: two fathers. By this point, Clayton found it difficult to 611 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:44,640 Speaker 1: believe anything Laura said, and he wasn't about to just 612 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 1: take her word for it. 613 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 2: So I google it. 614 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 3: I basically typed in like paternity testing for twins, and 615 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 3: boom rabjin pops up and I reached out. 616 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:56,560 Speaker 2: To him and they said, yeah, yeah, we test on twins. 617 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 3: And I said, what about the chance if there's like 618 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 3: two separate fathers, Like, oh, yeah, that hardly ever happens. 619 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:02,320 Speaker 3: They're like, and we can basically compare the DNA that 620 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:03,960 Speaker 3: we get and it's really easy to match it to 621 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:05,000 Speaker 3: yours if it is yours. 622 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 1: Indeed, So Clayton messaged Laura to tell her the good news. 623 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,480 Speaker 3: And she sends back like, that's incredible, that's awesome. I 624 00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 3: would love to schedule it. 625 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:15,200 Speaker 1: You might be able to guess what happens next. 626 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 3: And then she goes, you know, I don't think I 627 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 3: really need to do this. I already know you're the father. 628 00:33:21,120 --> 00:33:23,200 Speaker 3: I haven't done with anybody else, so I'm not getting 629 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 3: to it. I'm not going to waste my money. 630 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:28,960 Speaker 1: I've seen these email exchanges about the paternity test. Clayton 631 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,600 Speaker 1: offers to pay for the whole thing himself. Then the 632 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:36,320 Speaker 1: emails get messy. It's a constant back and forth about 633 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:40,880 Speaker 1: who was scheduling or canceling the appointments with Ravjet. Eventually 634 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:43,960 Speaker 1: they both took the test but we'll dive into those 635 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 1: details later. The whole time, Laura was still sending Clayton 636 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:53,040 Speaker 1: a barrage of messages. As I searched through the messages 637 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:57,960 Speaker 1: from August, I discovered an alarming pattern. Between August twelfth 638 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:02,360 Speaker 1: and August sixteenth, Laura intacted Clayton via text, using twelve 639 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 1: different phone numbers, generating a new one each time he 640 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:09,840 Speaker 1: blocked her. And whenever Laura was blocked via text, she 641 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: would start sending emails like this one, where she brought 642 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,680 Speaker 1: up something Clayton really wants to go on Dancing with 643 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:20,839 Speaker 1: the Stars. He takes hip hop dance classes and told 644 00:34:20,920 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 1: Laura about his passion for dance in their early text messages, 645 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:26,799 Speaker 1: which is what makes this email from Laura stand out. 646 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:28,920 Speaker 1: It's read by a voice actor. 647 00:34:30,120 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 4: My dad's old entertainment agent lawyer, who I've known since 648 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:35,920 Speaker 4: I was little and who still has big clients, came 649 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 4: to town on Friday from New York City to see 650 00:34:38,080 --> 00:34:41,839 Speaker 4: him one last time without my permission. My dad told 651 00:34:41,880 --> 00:34:44,160 Speaker 4: him that I was pregnant and that you were the 652 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:47,160 Speaker 4: father of the kid. Apparently they called to do some 653 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:49,560 Speaker 4: checking on you and said they found out there were 654 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:52,440 Speaker 4: rumors about you possibly being on Dancing with the Stars, 655 00:34:52,840 --> 00:34:55,520 Speaker 4: which I didn't know about, but I'm guessing you did. 656 00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:58,960 Speaker 4: My dad's agent lawyer told me that even if I 657 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:02,160 Speaker 4: didn't say anything to the press, that ABC would find 658 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:04,920 Speaker 4: out about the paternity papers being filed with the court 659 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 4: as part of their due diligence since they're filing as 660 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:12,400 Speaker 4: public record, and given the circumstances, it would almost certainly 661 00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:14,160 Speaker 4: ruin your chance of being on the show. 662 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 1: Okay, so let's talk about this. I know one of 663 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:21,840 Speaker 1: your dreams is to go on Dancing with the Stars. 664 00:35:22,239 --> 00:35:24,360 Speaker 1: Were you actually in talks to go on the show? 665 00:35:24,840 --> 00:35:25,640 Speaker 2: Not even close? 666 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:29,480 Speaker 3: When that came through that email, I remember just laughing 667 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:32,719 Speaker 3: and being like, Okay, now, you're just making stuff up. 668 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 1: Laura followed up with a copy of a letter she 669 00:35:36,120 --> 00:35:38,520 Speaker 1: planned to send to the Dancing with the Stars PR team. 670 00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:42,439 Speaker 1: She told Clayton, you need to devote time getting ready 671 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:45,120 Speaker 1: to have twins instead of focusing on a dance show. 672 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:51,800 Speaker 3: Ultimately, I remember thinking, I haven't heard anything from ABC, 673 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:55,200 Speaker 3: but if this were to be true, I would at 674 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:58,239 Speaker 3: least think they'd reach out to get my side of 675 00:35:58,239 --> 00:35:59,920 Speaker 3: the story. 676 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:03,479 Speaker 1: At that time, Clayton didn't want any media outlet reaching 677 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: out to him to ask about Laura Owens. He just 678 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:09,279 Speaker 1: wanted her to go away, and the good news was 679 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:12,240 Speaker 1: the story hadn't hit the press yet, even though Laura 680 00:36:12,280 --> 00:36:14,839 Speaker 1: had filed for paternity and named Clayton as the father. 681 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:18,120 Speaker 1: It was a relief because he was trying to spare 682 00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:22,520 Speaker 1: his family from another public embarrassment. But the people he 683 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:25,120 Speaker 1: was most worried would find out, his mom and dad, 684 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:29,200 Speaker 1: had started getting strange emails of their own. They were 685 00:36:29,239 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: from someone named Laura Owens. 686 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:34,840 Speaker 6: She probably emailed me fifteen or twenty times. 687 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:36,640 Speaker 1: That's Clayton's dad, Brian. 688 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:38,360 Speaker 6: I'm like, this is strange. 689 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:42,400 Speaker 1: Clayton wanted to handle this situation on his own, but 690 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:45,840 Speaker 1: by finding his parents' emails online and contacting them directly, 691 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:47,640 Speaker 1: Laura forced his hand. 692 00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:50,440 Speaker 3: After I had been holding off on telling my parents, 693 00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:52,520 Speaker 3: I had no choice but then to bring it to light. 694 00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:57,319 Speaker 1: At first, Clayton's parents were alarmed by the emails. 695 00:36:57,719 --> 00:37:00,600 Speaker 3: My parents early on weren't certain if it was true 696 00:37:00,640 --> 00:37:03,640 Speaker 3: or not as well, right, so they start then talking 697 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 3: to me about like, well, if this is real, then 698 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:07,719 Speaker 3: you need to be a man and step up and 699 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:09,640 Speaker 3: take accountability for your actions. 700 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 1: Clayton explained to them what was really going on. He 701 00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,640 Speaker 1: didn't believe Laura could possibly be pregnant with his babies. 702 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:20,600 Speaker 1: Then Laura reached out to his mom, Kelly. 703 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:26,759 Speaker 7: She tried to Facebook friend me, and of course I 704 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:30,160 Speaker 7: didn't accept, but you know how you can message and 705 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:33,960 Speaker 7: it was almost identical to what she had emailed, and 706 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:37,439 Speaker 7: she was just trying to convince me that Clayton really 707 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:40,440 Speaker 7: is the father and she needs help raising these kids. 708 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:43,279 Speaker 2: And yeah, I was just unbelievable. 709 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:49,240 Speaker 1: His parents never responded to Laura's messages all. 710 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:52,200 Speaker 6: The times she was trying to influence us, to make 711 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:54,120 Speaker 6: us get involved with him and tell him what to do, 712 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:57,080 Speaker 6: and like, he's a grown man, do what or Elly wants. 713 00:37:57,960 --> 00:37:59,720 Speaker 1: They knew their son was an honest person. 714 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:03,480 Speaker 2: I've never doubted him because he's always told the truth. 715 00:38:04,200 --> 00:38:07,760 Speaker 6: My thought was, I believe you, and I believe everything 716 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:08,160 Speaker 6: he says. 717 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:12,160 Speaker 7: He's always been very honest and very transparent, So I 718 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:13,280 Speaker 7: didn't doubt my son. 719 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:16,799 Speaker 1: When I talked to his mom, Kelly, she told me 720 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:19,839 Speaker 1: something that still sticks with me. When she first heard 721 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:23,080 Speaker 1: about Laura and the pregnancy, she felt a rush of joy, 722 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:27,120 Speaker 1: even though it was an ideal circumstances, this would be 723 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:30,719 Speaker 1: her first grandchild. Her first thought was that she and 724 00:38:30,760 --> 00:38:33,920 Speaker 1: her husband would relocate to Arizona to help take care 725 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:40,880 Speaker 1: of the baby. I've spent hours reading through the hundreds 726 00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 1: of emails from Laura to Clayton. They're contradictory, they're chaotic, 727 00:38:45,719 --> 00:38:50,480 Speaker 1: sometimes they're scary, but most striking of all, they're not 728 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:54,200 Speaker 1: really about the babies. I didn't even live through it, 729 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:58,960 Speaker 1: and I felt emotionally and physically exhausted just reading them. 730 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,080 Speaker 1: I can't even am what Clayton was feeling being on 731 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:06,200 Speaker 1: the receiving end of this fire hose. The truth was, 732 00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 1: Laura couldn't keep avoiding the paternity test forever, and by 733 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:14,800 Speaker 1: mid September she was running out of options. At this point, 734 00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:16,719 Speaker 1: she'd be almost four months long. 735 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:20,200 Speaker 3: Of course, she knows that her game is basically coming 736 00:39:20,239 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 3: to an end because she can't prove that I'm the 737 00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:23,920 Speaker 3: father because I'm not. 738 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 2: She realizes at this point she's losing the battle again. 739 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:32,440 Speaker 1: He was wrong because he wasn't accounting for the narrative 740 00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:35,600 Speaker 1: war that was about to start when this story finally 741 00:39:35,680 --> 00:39:36,600 Speaker 1: hit the news. 742 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:40,920 Speaker 8: I literally find out about these things this second they 743 00:39:40,920 --> 00:39:43,960 Speaker 8: get published. When you cover this. You know, you have 744 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:47,080 Speaker 8: thousands of people that are tuning in for news of 745 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:50,000 Speaker 8: Bachelor or pop culture, so if there's a big story, 746 00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:50,960 Speaker 8: it's in my inbox. 747 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:55,360 Speaker 1: That's Dave Neil. He's a comedian who hosts a daily 748 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:59,000 Speaker 1: podcast about pop culture and The Bachelor. When Dave got 749 00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:00,680 Speaker 1: the tip about this story. 750 00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:04,600 Speaker 8: Initially I'm bummed out. If this is true, I go, oh, please, 751 00:40:04,640 --> 00:40:07,280 Speaker 8: don't let this be true. I have vouched for Clayton. 752 00:40:07,360 --> 00:40:09,759 Speaker 8: He was kind of edited to be this villain. I 753 00:40:09,800 --> 00:40:10,759 Speaker 8: never believed him to be. 754 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:14,359 Speaker 1: Dave was about to become a major player in this 755 00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:15,440 Speaker 1: twisted tale. 756 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:18,040 Speaker 8: I didn't want it to be true, but I went 757 00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:21,600 Speaker 8: into it going I have to take these claims seriously 758 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:23,640 Speaker 8: for the sake of my audience. 759 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:27,640 Speaker 1: Dave was part of a whole ecosystem of Bachelor content creators, 760 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:30,400 Speaker 1: people he's known for years, like Reality Steve. 761 00:40:31,000 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 3: Immediately, Dave Neil and I contacted each other and we 762 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:35,960 Speaker 3: were like, oh, my gosh, this is crazy. 763 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:39,560 Speaker 1: It turns out they weren't the only ones in the 764 00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:42,960 Speaker 1: press who'd been alerted about a paternity case against Clayton 765 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:47,920 Speaker 1: eckered on September eighteenth, twenty twenty three. What had been 766 00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:52,640 Speaker 1: a private crisis suddenly became a public disaster. And we 767 00:40:52,760 --> 00:40:57,480 Speaker 1: begin tonight with the paternity case involving a former Bachelor contestant. 768 00:40:57,520 --> 00:41:01,759 Speaker 8: Following the Clayton Eckered Clayton Gate unity scandal. 769 00:41:01,280 --> 00:41:04,000 Speaker 1: Ecker, the star of season twenty six of The Bachelor, 770 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:06,520 Speaker 1: shared intimate moments with Laura Owens. 771 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:08,640 Speaker 8: The subject of the email, as seen by the US 772 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:12,160 Speaker 8: Sun is as follows threats, intimidation, verbal abuse, endangerment, and 773 00:41:12,239 --> 00:41:13,240 Speaker 8: extortion from Clayton. 774 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:16,000 Speaker 1: Eckert says the two did not have sexual intercourse. 775 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:17,520 Speaker 8: We're going to pick up with this story. 776 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:18,000 Speaker 2: Right now. 777 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:23,680 Speaker 1: Coming up on the next episode. Clayton is determined to 778 00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:24,400 Speaker 1: get answers. 779 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:27,480 Speaker 3: So I was just scrolling through my Instagram dms, and 780 00:41:27,719 --> 00:41:29,400 Speaker 3: all of a sudden, I see this message from a 781 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:31,440 Speaker 3: woman named Ashley that said. 782 00:41:31,239 --> 00:41:34,040 Speaker 2: Hey, you need to look into this court case. You're 783 00:41:34,080 --> 00:42:00,840 Speaker 2: not the only one. 784 00:42:02,960 --> 00:42:11,520 Speaker 1: Tracts to read verified copies of some of the emails 785 00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:15,800 Speaker 1: mentioned in this episode go to our Instagram at Glass Podcasts. 786 00:42:16,480 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening. Please be sure to 787 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:23,880 Speaker 1: follow Love Trapped on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, Spotify, 788 00:42:24,320 --> 00:42:27,239 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts, and please leave us 789 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:30,600 Speaker 1: a review. A five star rating helps others find this show. 790 00:42:31,080 --> 00:42:33,880 Speaker 1: We're grateful for your support. If you would like to 791 00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:36,759 Speaker 1: reach out to the Love Trapped team, email us at 792 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:40,480 Speaker 1: Love Trapped Pod at gmail dot com. That's Love Trapped 793 00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:44,480 Speaker 1: Pod at gmail dot com. Love Trapped is a production 794 00:42:44,560 --> 00:42:47,799 Speaker 1: of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group, in 795 00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:51,799 Speaker 1: partnership with iHeart Podcasts. This show was executive produced by 796 00:42:51,880 --> 00:42:56,440 Speaker 1: Nancy Glass, Andrea Gunning and Ben Fetterman, written, produced and 797 00:42:56,480 --> 00:43:00,520 Speaker 1: hosted by me Stephanie Young. Our story editor is Monique 798 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:05,000 Speaker 1: labourd Additional production support from Sidney Gladoo and Todd Gans. 799 00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:10,719 Speaker 1: Our production manager is Kristin Melchiri. For iHeart Podcasts, Ali 800 00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:14,920 Speaker 1: Perry was our executive producer. Audio editing and mastering by 801 00:43:14,920 --> 00:43:19,360 Speaker 1: Anna McClain and Matt Delvecchio. Additional editing support by Zach Prote. 802 00:43:20,360 --> 00:43:24,320 Speaker 1: Thank you to our voice actor Leslie Tolly. This podcast 803 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:28,080 Speaker 1: was developed in collaboration with Danny Passman and Lev Abramoff 804 00:43:28,160 --> 00:43:31,600 Speaker 1: at Crybaby Media. The Love Trapped theme is composed by 805 00:43:31,640 --> 00:43:36,560 Speaker 1: Oliver Bains. Music library provided by Mob Music. A special 806 00:43:36,600 --> 00:43:41,120 Speaker 1: thanks to Carrie Lieberman, Will Pearson, Jessica Crincheck Ali Canter 807 00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:45,200 Speaker 1: and the entire iHeart podcast team, And for more podcasts 808 00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:49,240 Speaker 1: from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 809 00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:50,400 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.