Speaker 1: It's just before seven am on January twenty ninth, twenty
Speaker 1: twenty five, in Scottsdale, Arizona, willase search war. Arizona has
Speaker 1: a reputation for relentless heat, but after years of living there,
Speaker 1: I know better. Winters in the desert can be chilly,
Speaker 1: and this morning was one of those days. It was
Speaker 1: forty five degrees and still dark outside.
Speaker 2: We have a search warn Okay, we're serving on the
Speaker 2: behalf of the Maricopa County's Attorney's office.
Speaker 3: You need to open up the door.
Speaker 1: The Scottsdale Police are at the home of thirty four
Speaker 1: year old Laura Owens. She and her parents live in
Speaker 1: one of the most desirable areas of Scottsdale. Think upscale
Speaker 1: ranch style homes on spacious lots. It's a rare urban
Speaker 1: neighborhood that still allows horses. But this morning the calm
Speaker 1: and quiet was interrupted.
Speaker 4: We might entry.
Speaker 5: We're you're contacting the character right now.
Speaker 3: You're good to move to the.
Speaker 1: Laura lives in a casida on her parents' property, which
Speaker 1: is kind of like a little studio apartment that's separate
Speaker 1: from the main house. Through a sliding glass door, officers
Speaker 1: can see Laura who is already awake and feeding her dogs.
Speaker 5: Laura, scott Stale police.
Speaker 4: Can you see my badge?
Speaker 5: What with the scott step Police department?
Speaker 3: Okay?
Speaker 5: Can you come out and talk with us police?
Speaker 4: No, the county attorneys have a search warm for your property,
Speaker 4: so we need you to come out.
Speaker 3: Okay, I'm sorry.
Speaker 1: It's not even seven in the morning.
Speaker 6: That's fine.
Speaker 1: Laura looks incredibly thin, dressed in an oversized Fleetwood mac
Speaker 1: t shirt and leggings. Her dark hair is pulled back
Speaker 1: in a ponytail. She's not exactly shocked to see the police,
Speaker 1: but she is annoyed by their timing.
Speaker 3: I was told that if the police were going to
Speaker 3: calm they would come during business hours. Can I call
Speaker 3: my attorney please?
Speaker 1: Laura reaches for her cell phone and calls her attorney,
Speaker 1: David Jingers.
Speaker 3: David, do you know what's going on right now?
Speaker 1: The Scottsdale Police are trying to handle this as calmly
Speaker 1: as possible, but Laura's getting more agitated by the minute.
Speaker 5: Our target is very animated at this point. The season
Speaker 5: to come out. She's speaking to us through a.
Speaker 4: Sliding glass door.
Speaker 5: We're getting her an.
Speaker 4: Opportunity to talk to her attorneys and they don't have
Speaker 4: to escalate things.
Speaker 5: But that's just where we're at right now.
Speaker 3: I'm going o'clock in the morning. She's on speaker with
Speaker 3: her attorney, and the attorney's advising her.
Speaker 5: To come out.
Speaker 7: There's a lot open the door.
Speaker 3: Did you think of authority to search for i'n o'clock
Speaker 3: in the morning.
Speaker 1: With her lawyers? Okay? She slowly opens her screen door
Speaker 1: and the Scottsdale Police lead her into the main house
Speaker 1: where her parents are waiting. Laura's having a meltdown.
Speaker 3: I agree.
Speaker 5: I agree. This is so. Laura is a subject of
Speaker 5: an investigation by the courts is regarding that.
Speaker 6: Even when it's not even seven o'clock, get pregnant by
Speaker 6: the fucking wrestler.
Speaker 1: The Bachelor, as in the hit reality TV show Imagine,
Speaker 1: one of its stars a former lead at the center
Speaker 1: of a major paternity scandal. The man whose story prompted
Speaker 1: this early morning police raid is none other than Clayton Eckered.
Speaker 1: He's one of the most notorious and unpopular bachelors of
Speaker 1: all time. His season fell to pieces, leaving him single
Speaker 1: and rejected by the woman he'd fallen in love with.
Speaker 1: After the show, he moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, hoping for
Speaker 1: a fresh start on the show. Clayton didn't meet his person,
Speaker 1: but after moving to Arizona, he would meet the person
Speaker 1: that would change the course of his life forever. I'm
Speaker 1: Stephanie Young and this is Love Trapped Tractic. Nearly two
Speaker 1: years before the police raid, Laura Owens hooked up with
Speaker 1: Clayton eckered and allegedly became pregnant. That is only the
Speaker 1: beginning of the story, a story that is still very
Speaker 1: much going on. It's about how difficult it can be
Speaker 1: to verify the truth, especially when facts are constantly shifting.
Speaker 7: Anytime someone doesn't want to give you the full information,
Speaker 7: they lose all credibility.
Speaker 4: I don't know what she did, but we certainly didn't
Speaker 4: rule out the spit maneuver. The things that she said
Speaker 4: to Clayton, the famous lines about don't want you to
Speaker 4: feel how tight I am and stuff like that. Why
Speaker 4: would she have said that if they had already had sex.
Speaker 7: She says, we were sexually intimate. Okay, well, now he's
Speaker 7: saying you only had two blowjobs.
Speaker 5: Blowjobs don't make babies.
Speaker 6: It's like a miracle somehow that she got pregnant.
Speaker 7: She could have shot herself in the ass with fertility drugs.
Speaker 6: They hooked up, but they didn't have sex.
Speaker 7: Turkey Basters. It's just so chaos.
Speaker 1: In the end, the man at the center of this
Speaker 1: drama would begin to question everything, setting him on an
Speaker 1: all consuming path to prove the truth.
Speaker 5: Hello, this is Clayton speaking.
Speaker 3: Hey Clayton and Stephanie from Glass Podcasts.
Speaker 5: How are you today, Hey, Stephanie. I'm doing good. It's
Speaker 5: honestly just another slow Friday today.
Speaker 1: When I first heard about this case, it sounded simple,
Speaker 1: but as I began looking into it myself, the twists
Speaker 1: and turns became increasingly strange. So I gave Clayton a call.
Speaker 3: We have emailed back and forth a few times about
Speaker 3: this whole Laura Owen saga and I want to tell
Speaker 3: your story. I want to tell it in a podcast
Speaker 3: and get all the details out there. I know you've
Speaker 3: shared some, but I don't think that you've shared all
Speaker 3: of them yet.
Speaker 5: I mean, there's so much I do want it out there,
Speaker 5: just full transparency. I just I hope it's told correctly.
Speaker 1: This would be my first of many phone calls with Clayton.
Speaker 1: I live in Chicago now, but I used to call
Speaker 1: Arizona home. It's one of my favorite places. It's where
Speaker 1: I attended college, It's where I got married and began
Speaker 1: my career in radio and podcasting. I was actually in
Speaker 1: Arizona shopping for a wedding dress when I first heard
Speaker 1: about this on the news, and I'll be heading back
Speaker 1: there soon to start reporting on this case myself.
Speaker 3: So how do you feel about letting me share your story?
Speaker 5: I mean, Stephy, I hope that over time that this
Speaker 5: becomes a budding friendship and like I can trust you
Speaker 5: and it can be told in the way that it
Speaker 5: needs to be told and how I would like for
Speaker 5: it to be told. But I'm going to also just
Speaker 5: again be completely honest because that's how I live my life.
Speaker 5: I've been screwed over so many times by producers that
Speaker 5: have told me this is how I'm going to be
Speaker 5: seen and then it's complete opposite. So, like, is there
Speaker 5: a little bit of hesitancy? Yeah, I'm going to definitely
Speaker 5: want to be in the know as much as possible.
Speaker 1: Clayton's story is an epic battle of he said. She said,
Speaker 1: It's a story about who you believe and why. Over
Speaker 1: the past two years, it's ignited the Internet, becoming a
Speaker 1: kind of viral cautionary tale. Along the way, dozens of citizens, sleuths,
Speaker 1: and armchair investigators joined the conversation, scrutinizing every little detail.
Speaker 1: But here's the thing. When the news broke that Clayton
Speaker 1: was part of this paternity scandal, no one believed him
Speaker 1: at first because he was a reality TV star and
Speaker 1: an unpopular one at that. All of a sudden, his
Speaker 1: word was at the center of a case that would
Speaker 1: put him back in the spotlight in a way he
Speaker 1: never expected.
Speaker 3: Just so you know, I have family that lives in Phoenix,
Speaker 3: So next time I'm in Arizona, I'd love to try
Speaker 3: to get together and maybe have a conversation to see
Speaker 3: how we can tell this story together in a way
Speaker 3: that makes sense.
Speaker 5: Honestly, I think that'd be great. I mean, I'm a
Speaker 5: huge believer in just face to face interaction, and I
Speaker 5: would really like that that way, obviously, we can get
Speaker 5: to know one another and understand what seriously we're both
Speaker 5: getting into. Because I you were going to be in
Speaker 5: over your head.
Speaker 1: And he was right. I had no idea how big
Speaker 1: this story really was. To really understand what's going on here,
Speaker 1: you first have to understand how Clayton was portrayed on
Speaker 1: TV and why he was so unpopular. You see, his
Speaker 1: season of The Bachelor ended in flames.
Speaker 4: The Rose ceremony from hell. It's one of the most
Speaker 4: memorable moments in the history of the show that basically
Speaker 4: blew up his whole season.
Speaker 7: I promise you, when you look back at this.
Speaker 1: This is gonna a hant you.
Speaker 5: The fact that you let me go.
Speaker 1: It didn't help that the three final contestants were some
Speaker 1: of the most likable in the entire franchise. Clayton came
Speaker 1: off as almost insensitive, but that's only part of what
Speaker 1: earned him the title of most hated Bachelor ever. He
Speaker 1: left the show in embarrassment. The internet turned on him.
Speaker 5: This is going down as an all time bad season.
Speaker 5: He's going down as an all time bad Bachelor. I've
Speaker 5: been saying all season that I think this guy sucks.
Speaker 1: His words and his actions did not line up.
Speaker 7: I see any of these people defending this guy, how
Speaker 7: many Shame on you.
Speaker 1: And in the end, Clayton was left alone. He was
Speaker 1: at an all time low.
Speaker 5: I was the worst Bachelor ever. At this point, people
Speaker 5: were hating me everything that they were watching on TV.
Speaker 5: I thought, how am I ever going to recover from
Speaker 5: what I've done.
Speaker 1: I'll admit it. I have always been a fan of
Speaker 1: The Bachelor franchise, but I missed Clayton's season, and it
Speaker 1: turns out a lot of people did. Before I began
Speaker 1: reporting on this story, I went back and watched Clayton's season.
Speaker 1: I've got to be honest. While I was definitely entertained,
Speaker 1: it was also a bit of a train wreck. I
Speaker 1: could see why he got the reputation he did. Even
Speaker 1: his brother Nate didn't think he did a very good job.
Speaker 5: I wouldn't give him the best grade. I think he
Speaker 5: was authentic. I think he was himself, but it just
Speaker 5: ended up getting him in more trouble.
Speaker 1: Respectfully, there have been many other Bachelor contestants who have
Speaker 1: actually committed crimes. Clayton's only crime was not being likable.
Speaker 1: He's blunt and truthful, and oftentimes that lands him in
Speaker 1: hot water.
Speaker 5: When people watch a show like The Bachelor, they think
Speaker 5: that they know you based on what they watch on TV.
Speaker 5: And what sucks is that I didn't get a great edit,
Speaker 5: and so now people were less likely to want to
Speaker 5: rally behind me with this whole cause because they didn't
Speaker 5: like me based off of what they saw on TV.
Speaker 1: I had my own preconceived notions about Clayton before I
Speaker 1: met him, kind of thought the same thing a lot
Speaker 1: of people did. He was your typical playboy. I had
Speaker 1: to get to know him myself because the story isn't
Speaker 1: about the bachelor.
Speaker 5: Hey, how's it going.
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, you really are that tall.
Speaker 5: I got less with some hight. Good to see you too,
Speaker 5: Absolutely welcome to the humb little abode.
Speaker 1: I met Clayton for the first time last August when
Speaker 1: I was visiting my parents in Arizona. He's a big guy.
Speaker 1: His hands are double the size of mine. He's got
Speaker 1: a killer smile, hazel eyes, and a square jaw. He
Speaker 1: has thick, curly hair most men or women would die for,
Speaker 1: and at six', five he towers over.
Speaker 5: ME i drank cream soda growing, up and my parents,
Speaker 5: said you, know if you keep drinking, that you're gonna
Speaker 5: stunt your. Growth SO i switched over to, milk AND
Speaker 5: i think there was hormones in the. Milk all those
Speaker 5: hormones were probably pumping up.
Speaker 1: My, Today clayton is a pretty normal. Guy he's in solar,
Speaker 1: sales he's a, realtor he takes hip hop dance, classes
Speaker 1: and he owns and manages An airbnb In. Scottsdale in,
Speaker 1: fact the DAY i met, him he shared his original
Speaker 1: concept of an Optional airbnb add, on where for an additional,
Speaker 1: fee he would personally provide guests with the Private Rose ceremony.
Speaker 5: EXPERIENCE i give them the exact same spiel THAT i
Speaker 5: would have given to the women on the. Show i'm
Speaker 5: so grateful that you all are here tonight's for this incredible.
Speaker 5: Moment what a journey we all have.
Speaker 1: Had as a lifelong fan of the. Franchise when he
Speaker 1: recreated This Rose ceremony, moment for, me it was Like
Speaker 1: clayton became The bachelor.
Speaker 5: AGAIN i had a videographer here to film all of,
Speaker 5: that AND i released it in THE abc hit me
Speaker 5: with The Seasoned.
Speaker 1: Assist The Season assist wouldn't be the last of his legal,
Speaker 1: troubles as you'll soon find. Out so how Did clayton
Speaker 1: even get here in the first? Place what was his
Speaker 1: path to becoming The? BACHELOR i wanted to start from the.
Speaker 1: Beginning clayton grew up In, missouri and spent twenty eight
Speaker 1: years of his life. There And clayton is your Normal midwest.
Speaker 5: GUY i grew up with my two younger brothers and
Speaker 5: we're just a household of, boys and we competed in
Speaker 5: every single, thing from sports to. Grades so a lot
Speaker 5: of WHO i am today stems from those early childhood.
Speaker 5: Challenges amongst me and my.
Speaker 1: Brothers clayton says his younger brother outshined.
Speaker 5: Him he had a lot of confidence growing up THAT
Speaker 5: i never, possessed and so he succeeded at a higher
Speaker 5: level than. ME a lot of the girls loved. Him
Speaker 5: he was smooth because he didn't overthink. Things, MEANWHILE i
Speaker 5: was getting friendzoned by all the girls in my. Grade
Speaker 5: even girls in my grade liked my brother more than
Speaker 5: they liked.
Speaker 1: Me When clayton got to high, school he was determined
Speaker 1: and to prove.
Speaker 5: Himself that's WHEN i, Decided, hey the way THAT i
Speaker 5: establish worth is by becoming the best on the football
Speaker 5: field and becoming like the most sought after man THAT
Speaker 5: i can.
Speaker 1: Be clayton had a good senior football, season not good
Speaker 1: enough to get a, scholarship but good enough to walk
Speaker 1: on the team at The university Of.
Speaker 5: Missouri everyone expected me not to make. It it's A
Speaker 5: DIVISION i, program top program in the, state.
Speaker 1: And he made. It he became a tight end on
Speaker 1: the team and even went on to play in THE.
Speaker 1: Nfl he was cut early, on but, hey he made.
Speaker 1: It that's what mattered to, him and this experience led
Speaker 1: him to the next chapter in his, career medical device.
Speaker 5: Sales they love their, athletes so they're, like, hey we
Speaker 5: don't care if you don't have any sales. Experience we love,
Speaker 5: athletes and so they bring me. On SO i get this,
Speaker 5: nice great job out of.
Speaker 1: College clayton paid his dues in the industry while living In, Columbia.
Speaker 1: Missouri he was big into fitness and posting his workout
Speaker 1: videos On, instagram but on his twenty eighth, birthday he
Speaker 1: had what he referred to as a quarter life.
Speaker 5: CRISIS i had this epiphany WHERE i REALIZED i had
Speaker 5: not grown as a person in five. Years that's HOW i.
Speaker 5: FELT i was doing the same job That i'd been
Speaker 5: doing for the last five. Years, ROMANTICALLY i was just dating.
Speaker 5: CASUALLY i hadn't grown in that regard, whatsoever AND i
Speaker 5: REALIZED i need to get out of this. Environment i'm.
Speaker 1: Stagnant that's when everything changed for.
Speaker 5: HIM i got A dm from a casting producer On.
Speaker 5: INSTAGRAM a producer From The bachelor was searching via fitness,
Speaker 5: hashtags WHICH i had put on one of my, pictures
Speaker 5: and that's how they found.
Speaker 1: Me it wasn't the first time he'd been. Scouted he'd
Speaker 1: been approached to be On Love island and AN Hbo
Speaker 1: christmas dating. Show he turned them both down and told
Speaker 1: his brother that the only show he would considers The.
Speaker 1: Bachelorette but then when the opportunity was actually presented.
Speaker 5: To, Him i'm, like there's no WAY i can do.
Speaker 5: This so my brother brings it up one day and he's,
Speaker 5: like you're you going to go on the? Show AND i,
Speaker 5: SAID i don't think. So he, goes, oh so you're
Speaker 5: not a man of your. WORD i, said what do you?
Speaker 5: Mean he, goes don't you remember that conversation we? Had he,
Speaker 5: said you said the one show you would go on
Speaker 5: as a. Bachelorette he, goes and so now you're not
Speaker 5: going to do, It so you're not a man of a,
Speaker 5: Word and that's ALL i.
Speaker 1: Needed he agreed to go On The. Bachelorette he barely
Speaker 1: watched the, show except when he was glancing over his mom's.
Speaker 5: Shoulder it was my mom's favorite show growing. Up it
Speaker 5: was always on in our.
Speaker 1: House clayton was cast On Michelle young's season Of The
Speaker 1: bachelorette in twenty twenty. One michelle's a natural beauty with
Speaker 1: wavy black. Hair she's a college basketball player turned elementary school.
Speaker 1: Teacher clayton thought she was dropped dead, gorgeous but when
Speaker 1: he got on set for the first, time he was
Speaker 1: overwhelmed by the production of it.
Speaker 5: ALL i will never forget my first night BEFORE i
Speaker 5: walked onto reality. Television he was.
Speaker 1: A nervous wreck when he got out of the limo
Speaker 1: to Meet.
Speaker 5: MICHELLE i step out the. Limo lights are blinding. Me they,
Speaker 5: said if you mess, up keep. Going there are no.
Speaker 5: Redos when the cameras were thrown on, me it was
Speaker 5: just a. SHOCK i was in that, moment wondering IF
Speaker 5: i was swaying my arms too much WHILE i was.
Speaker 5: Walking that's how hyper FIXATED i was on the minute,
Speaker 5: things because all of a, sudden in that, moment you're
Speaker 5: like nothing is, hidden everything is out, there.
Speaker 1: And things didn't get any better once he met the
Speaker 1: other guys.
Speaker 5: First GUY i see ends up being the guy that
Speaker 5: won the whole. Thing he's six foot, eight light, skin
Speaker 5: looks like a. Model i'm, like, Oh i'm. Done there's
Speaker 5: no Way i'm gonna make this last longer than one
Speaker 5: night if this is my.
Speaker 1: Competition clayton made it past night, one but he didn't
Speaker 1: get a lot of screen.
Speaker 5: Time it was hardly Any it was like eight minutes. Max.
Speaker 1: Maybe ultimately he was sent home before hometown. Dates michelle
Speaker 1: walked into the limo and he was driven off the,
Speaker 1: set but the next Morning clayton was called for one
Speaker 1: final exit. Scene michelle was an elementary school, teacher and
Speaker 1: earlier in the, Episode clayton met two of her. Students
Speaker 1: he was brought in to shoot a final scene where
Speaker 1: the two kids gave him handwritten goodbye. Letters we Watched
Speaker 1: clayton read each letter and well up with.
Speaker 5: Tears it was surprising because you are super genuine AND
Speaker 5: i liked you a, lot AND i know you'd be
Speaker 5: a really great husband for Miss. Young you will probably
Speaker 5: meet someone else and fall in love and have lots
Speaker 5: of kids and be a great.
Speaker 1: Dat clayton didn't realize it in the, moment but this
Speaker 1: scene was his screen test to be The. Bachelor this
Speaker 1: is one to.
Speaker 5: Find love so badly AND i have a, Family, Well
Speaker 5: i'll do whatever it takes in.
Speaker 1: Them he nailed, it and then his producer made the.
Speaker 1: Offer they wanted him to be the Next. Bachelor Even
Speaker 1: clayton was.
Speaker 5: SURPRISED i got sent home with seven guys ahead of,
Speaker 5: me SO i figured that wasn't even. Contention so when
Speaker 5: he said, THAT i was, like, Yeah i'll do.
Speaker 1: It clayton said something that stood out to. Me he
Speaker 1: was sent home earlier in the season than most future,
Speaker 1: leads so picking him was kind of a strange. CHOICE
Speaker 1: i wanted some insight on, this SO i turned To Reality.
Speaker 1: Steve he's a, podcaster, blogger and de facto authority on
Speaker 1: The bachelor. Franchise he knows how the show works behind the.
Speaker 1: Scenes here's why he thinks the show Casts clayton as the.
Speaker 4: Lead my guess was to control, him a guy that
Speaker 4: they could clearly, See, hey he's going to do what
Speaker 4: we tell him to do because he's so grateful for this.
Speaker 1: Opportunity the thing, Is clayton was grateful for the.
Speaker 5: Opportunity it was validation THAT i was, special which the
Speaker 5: people pleaser and me was always. Chasing so to have
Speaker 5: that moment come to a place where it was, like
Speaker 5: we want you to be the. GUY i was, Like
Speaker 5: i'm the, guy and you don't just become the guy
Speaker 5: without having a whole track record of.
Speaker 1: Success he finally found the validation he was looking, for
Speaker 1: but he didn't realize that once you invite the world,
Speaker 1: in you can't tell them when to.
Speaker 5: Leave i'll never forget. This producer looks at me and she,
Speaker 5: goes take this moment in because this is the last
Speaker 5: moment of silence that you'll likely have in your life
Speaker 5: for a long. Time if, ever that's the MOMENT i,
Speaker 5: remember because my life has never been the same since that.
Speaker 5: Point the noise has never.
Speaker 1: Stopped clayton began filming his season of The bachelor in
Speaker 1: Late september of twenty twenty, one and he was ready
Speaker 1: to find.
Speaker 5: Love POINT i was so overcome with just. Excitement what
Speaker 5: is my? Life this isn't even. Real pinch, me but
Speaker 5: don't actually pinch, me because if this is a, DREAM
Speaker 5: i don't want to wake up from. It that's how
Speaker 5: grateful and EXCITED i. WAS i was just soaking it
Speaker 5: all in AND i felt Like i'm going to give
Speaker 5: everyone the love story that they're looking, for BECAUSE i
Speaker 5: got the genuine heart that's actually looking for something. Serious
Speaker 5: this is gonna be a fairy tale. Ending i'm going
Speaker 5: to write off at the sunset and be the hero
Speaker 5: that everybody was anticipating i'd, be or it wants me to.
Speaker 5: Be that's WHAT i believed was going to. HAPPEN i
Speaker 5: really believed that up until like the last. Week where
Speaker 5: the fuck DID i go?
Speaker 1: Wrong so here's what. Happened When clayton got down to the,
Speaker 1: finalists he broke an unspoken rule of The, bachelor which
Speaker 1: is the show doesn't really work if you tell all
Speaker 1: the finalists you're in love with, them especially while they're
Speaker 1: all standing in front of.
Speaker 5: YOU i still to this, DAY i didn't REALIZE i
Speaker 5: was an untold. RULE i believe in radical. Honesty it's
Speaker 5: probably gotten me and actually has gotten me in trouble
Speaker 5: more than a few times in my.
Speaker 1: Life not only Did clayton admit to falling in love
Speaker 1: with all of the, finalists he also revealed that he'd
Speaker 1: had sex with two of. Them here's what he. Said
Speaker 1: he was.
Speaker 5: Thinking every emotion was rushing. In it was a LOT i,
Speaker 5: MEAN i was so drained at that. POINT i had
Speaker 5: a mix of frustration with myself. Sadness to see the
Speaker 5: looks on the faces of the. WOMEN i realized that
Speaker 5: things were going and the exact opposite direction THAT i
Speaker 5: planned for them to.
Speaker 1: Go The Rose ceremony From hell was filmed In, iceland
Speaker 1: And clayton's parents and two brothers were there. Too while
Speaker 1: it was being, filmed his family was out to dinner
Speaker 1: with some of the show's, producers who were getting frantic
Speaker 1: texts from the production. Team Here's clayton's, Dad.
Speaker 2: Brian even the producer told me WHEN i was sitting
Speaker 2: in a room with. Her she, goes you, know mister,
Speaker 2: record your son gave us some great. Material unfortunately it's
Speaker 2: just gonna look like. Shit she, GOES i don't know
Speaker 2: why anybody to save. Him it was, like, well we'll
Speaker 2: see what it looks like when it comes.
Speaker 1: Out the producers were, right it didn't look good For
Speaker 1: clayton in the. End there were three. Women the first Was,
Speaker 1: rachel a radiant blonde who was also a. Pilot next
Speaker 1: Was Gabby, wendy a nurse and FORMER nfl cheerleader with
Speaker 1: a quick. Wit she's since become a pop culture icon
Speaker 1: who you might have seen On The traders And dancing
Speaker 1: with The. Stars when she was On clayton's season Of The,
Speaker 1: bachelor she was not happy with how he handled.
Speaker 8: Himself i'm pissed BECAUSE i spent the last two days
Speaker 8: away from my family and my friends who actually get
Speaker 8: the bit about me and you.
Speaker 1: Don't that was. Rough then there Was. Susie she was
Speaker 1: a wedding, photographer Former Miss virginia, actually and she was
Speaker 1: the One clayton was leaning. Towards But susie decided to
Speaker 1: leave the competition. Early right before the, finale she got
Speaker 1: cold feet about getting. Engaged in a very unusual and risky,
Speaker 1: Move clayton sent the other two finalists. Home he wanted
Speaker 1: to propose To, susie and, surprise, surprise she was still In.
Speaker 1: Iceland so he made a grand gesture and asked her
Speaker 1: to come to the final rose. Ceremony she agreed to show,
Speaker 1: up and when he handed her the, rose she said
Speaker 1: what no other contestant has ever said.
Speaker 8: BEFORE i have made the decision to Leave iceland. Alone
Speaker 8: it doesn't like take away from everything that we've had
Speaker 8: and the love THAT i genuinely feel in my heart for.
Speaker 1: You in other, words she said. NO i Asked clayton,
Speaker 1: if in that moment he regretted becoming The.
Speaker 5: Bachelor, yes one thousand. PERCENT i Wish i'd never answered
Speaker 5: THAT dm WHEN i, yeah, Absolutely that's HOW i.
Speaker 1: Felt clayton told me that he felt like the producers
Speaker 1: pushed him to develop a strong connection with more than one,
Speaker 1: woman and they encouraged him to try that last ditch
Speaker 1: effort With.
Speaker 5: SUSIE i felt like the producers were trying to lead
Speaker 5: me and potentially produced me into reacting a certain, way
Speaker 5: and SO i started to, question are we on the same, Team,
Speaker 5: like AM i able to really just do WHAT i?
Speaker 5: Want or is there some type of motive here from
Speaker 5: you all THAT i need to fall in line.
Speaker 1: With it's telling That clayton didn't realize this until the.
Speaker 1: End here's, Reality.
Speaker 4: Steve they took advantage of a naive guy who didn't
Speaker 4: know television and didn't know the process of this show
Speaker 4: and had a field day with.
Speaker 1: Him shortly After clayton returned from filming the, show he
Speaker 1: received A dm From susie On instagram asking if they
Speaker 1: could talk about what happened In iceland And clayton.
Speaker 5: Agreed we had a three hour conversation that night and
Speaker 5: talked a lot about producer involvement and how it stopped
Speaker 5: us from being able to pursue the relationship.
Speaker 1: Further susie felt the same way that producers forced them
Speaker 1: into a. Decision at the, end.
Speaker 6: It just felt like producers got really, involved AND i
Speaker 6: felt like the whole situation felt manipulated and, orchestrated AND
Speaker 6: i didn't know who to trust, anymore whether it was
Speaker 6: not Trusting clayton or, producers AND i was, LIKE i
Speaker 6: just need to leave.
Speaker 1: Here after that, conversation they decided to reconnect and give
Speaker 1: the relationship a go on their own terms without. Cameras
Speaker 1: But america couldn't know yet because the show hadn't. Premiered
Speaker 1: Living Through it had been one. Thing Then clayton joined
Speaker 1: the millions Of americans watching his season play out ON.
Speaker 1: Tv it did not go well the premiere.
Speaker 5: Trailer it started off all, happy go, lucky and then
Speaker 5: the back half of the trailer they just showed everything blowing.
Speaker 5: Up they showed that clearly there's no love story. Here
Speaker 5: it's full, drama and they set me up for failure
Speaker 5: right out the.
Speaker 1: Gate and the internet was. Ruthless clayton knew it had been,
Speaker 1: bad he didn't know it had been this.
Speaker 5: Bad so many of those people that sent me death
Speaker 5: threats told me THAT i never deserve, love told me
Speaker 5: that they would put a bullet in my head if
Speaker 5: they ever saw me in, person tell Me i'm, stupid.
Speaker 5: Ugly my physique was, attacked my actions were, attacked and
Speaker 5: it's like they all forgot THAT i was a. Human i'm, like,
Speaker 5: Guys i'm still a human. Being this stuff.
Speaker 1: Hurts the show provided mental health resources for as long
Speaker 1: As clayton needed.
Speaker 5: Them it's just a shame because you would hope that
Speaker 5: you wouldn't have to ever utilize them in the first.
Speaker 1: Place clayton knew he wasn't, perfect but as the finale,
Speaker 1: approached the online hate took its toll on.
Speaker 5: Him my mental health was the worst it's ever been
Speaker 5: in my. LIFE i, thought wouldn't it better IF i just wasn't.
Speaker 5: Here there was a point WHERE i focus in on
Speaker 5: the closed drawer in front of me that had my
Speaker 5: pistol inside the, drawer AND i start having the thought
Speaker 5: just that it's, there AND i felt weak in that,
Speaker 5: moment AND i almost felt guilty, for you, know even considering,
Speaker 5: that BECAUSE i thought there's no WAY i could ever
Speaker 5: put this type of pain in my, family AND i
Speaker 5: knew at that, POINT i was, LIKE i got to
Speaker 5: get out of this. Environment this is not.
Speaker 1: Good clayton reached out to The bachelor producers for.
Speaker 5: HELP i, SAID i am in a terrible place right.
Speaker 5: Now i'm having extremely dark. THOUGHTS i feel. WORTHLESS i need.
Speaker 1: Support he desperate wanted to see his Girlfriend, susie but
Speaker 1: the rules were if they wanted to meet in, person
Speaker 1: they had to go through producers, first since the show
Speaker 1: was still. Airing susie was genuinely worried about. Him Here's.
Speaker 6: Susie at the, time he didn't mention the gun in the,
Speaker 6: drawer BUT i remember also calling producers at the same
Speaker 6: time AND i, said, HEY i really think something is
Speaker 6: very wrong AND i don't think he should be alone right.
Speaker 5: Now thankfully they understood the severity of. It they got
Speaker 5: me out on a red, eye they got her out
Speaker 5: on a red, eye AND i then had at Least
Speaker 5: susie there to support.
Speaker 1: Me, soon during the live, Finale america would find out
Speaker 1: the truth About clayton And susie's. Relationship are you guys back?
Speaker 5: Together that's my.
Speaker 1: Boyfriend you'd think this news would have Started clayton's redemption.
Speaker 1: Arc he And susie did end up together after, all
Speaker 1: but that's not what. Happened the online trolls started to
Speaker 1: come For susie.
Speaker 6: TOO i received some of the most, like, disgusting, graphic
Speaker 6: nasty Messages i've ever received in my life after the final.
Speaker 1: Show that was a lot to go. Through susie felt
Speaker 1: like The bachelor left them out to dry and let
Speaker 1: them take the fall for producers. Decisions there's a.
Speaker 6: Lot of criticism On clayton on how things, happened AND
Speaker 6: i think some of that is deserved and some of
Speaker 6: it is also, like, okay we have to take a
Speaker 6: step back and recognize that there's a whole production behind.
Speaker 1: It when the show, Wrapped clayton And susie had to
Speaker 1: deal with being a publicly hated. Couple their relationship wasn't
Speaker 1: celebrated like Most bachelor, couples and their social media accounts
Speaker 1: were spammed with hate. Comments they were both just trying
Speaker 1: to feel normal again after nine months of dating under
Speaker 1: intense online, Scrutiny clayton And susie decided to call it.
Speaker 6: QUITS i think our relationship was just too tumultuous to.
Speaker 6: Last LIKE i think that we went through something really
Speaker 6: really traumatic together and that could have brought us. Closer
Speaker 6: but we both were two people that went through something
Speaker 6: really really hard and we just didn't have the toolkit
Speaker 6: to like make it.
Speaker 5: Work WHEN i lost, HER i lost a, rock you,
Speaker 5: KNOW i lost somebody that really fully understood.
Speaker 1: Me he took the breakup, hard so we spent the
Speaker 1: next year working on. Himself at the end of twenty twenty,
Speaker 1: Two clayton wanted a fresh.
Speaker 5: START i moved To, Scottsdale, arizona which is the hot.
Speaker 5: Spot there is so much happening. Here it's very close
Speaker 5: to all The West coast.
Speaker 1: Cities having lived, THERE i can tell you it's kind
Speaker 1: of a party, town.
Speaker 5: Very fast, paced a lot of, distractions a lot of
Speaker 5: problems as.
Speaker 1: Well it's almost fitting At scottsdale is one of the
Speaker 1: most popular destinations for bachelorette.
Speaker 5: Parties WHEN i got To, SCOTTSTOWE i didn't have dating
Speaker 5: on my. MIND i HAD i had a big old party,
Speaker 5: mindset AND i, THOUGHT i get to be, single AND
Speaker 5: i get to be single as The, bachelor Former, bachelor
Speaker 5: And i'm going to just milk this moment And i'm
Speaker 5: going to have my.
Speaker 1: Fun he thought it would be smooth sailing now That
Speaker 1: The bachelor was behind. Him damn was he. Wrong after
Speaker 1: a nightmarish stint in the public, Eye Clayton eckerd began
Speaker 1: building a new life In, Scottsdale. Arizona In april of
Speaker 1: twenty twenty, three he announced On instagram that he got
Speaker 1: his real estate. License he figured that his notoriety from
Speaker 1: the Show i'd even help him launch his. CAREER a
Speaker 1: few short weeks, later he got a message On LinkedIn
Speaker 1: from a potential real estate, client someone Named Laura.
Speaker 5: Owens The LinkedIn message, Said, Hi i'm looking to connect
Speaker 5: with similar minded young entrepreneurs In. SCOTTSDALE i see that
Speaker 5: you work for the AND i actually contacted them. Recently
Speaker 5: they were going to connect me with someone who could
Speaker 5: help me find investment, properties but haven't. Yet let me
Speaker 5: know if you can.
Speaker 1: Help Laura's LinkedIn profile didn't have a, photo But clayton's.
Speaker 5: Did it was My bachelor, photo the photo From night
Speaker 5: one of The.
Speaker 1: Bachelor you'd think that her not having a photo might
Speaker 1: be a red flag. Right, Well clayton saw it.
Speaker 5: DIFFERENTLY i, Figured i'm the, bachelor AND i have a
Speaker 5: level of fame to. Me this is not at all that's.
Speaker 5: SURPRISING i, MEAN i had people that came up to
Speaker 5: me once at a coffee shop and said they wanted
Speaker 5: to work with me in real. Estate SO i exchanged
Speaker 5: my contact info with her to get in front of
Speaker 5: her so THAT i could hopefully get my first real
Speaker 5: estate deal.
Speaker 1: Done And laura didn't waste any.
Speaker 5: Time the text messages started right, away constant, texting and
Speaker 5: she knew a lot about real, estate more THAN i
Speaker 5: even knew BECAUSE i just got my. License SO i
Speaker 5: felt LIKE i was trying to play keep up with.
Speaker 1: Her laura was asking all the right, questions But clayton
Speaker 1: also realized she was testing the.
Speaker 5: Waters at, first she was flirting a. BED i was
Speaker 5: keeping it very. Professional was twenty thousand dollars commission on the,
Speaker 5: line good amount of, money AND i was trying to
Speaker 5: keep the transaction going.
Speaker 1: ALONG i sat down With clayton and had him walk
Speaker 1: me through the printouts of their initial. Messages you mentioned
Speaker 1: she was flirting with you a little. Bit can you
Speaker 1: read one of those messages and kind of give me
Speaker 1: an example of what you're talking.
Speaker 5: About in all, honesty, THOUGH i had a great time
Speaker 5: talking to you and would actually love to get a
Speaker 5: drink with you next week if you want.
Speaker 1: To and how did you handle that?
Speaker 5: FLIRTATION i, Thought i'll just continue to be, professional push this,
Speaker 5: along let her feel however she, feels and if she
Speaker 5: wants to flirt here and, there whatever we can let that.
Speaker 1: Be so you told me your profile picture was the
Speaker 1: photo of you from The. Bachelor do you think she
Speaker 1: had any idea of who you?
Speaker 5: WERE i don't think she did know WHO i. WAS i,
Speaker 5: mean of, course you, know she could have googled me
Speaker 5: and found out very, quickly but based on what she
Speaker 5: had said to me and her, TONALITY i assumed that
Speaker 5: she didn't.
Speaker 1: Know, Okay so then you thought she was flirting with,
Speaker 1: you not because you were famous or the Former, bachelor
Speaker 1: but because you're you a, tall thirty something year old guy.
Speaker 5: HANDSOME i, mean, HEY i appreciate all those, compliments but,
Speaker 5: YEAH i, mean, TRUTHFULLY i just, thought, like, yeah she
Speaker 5: Thinks i'm, Attractive, okay no big. Deal i'm just really
Speaker 5: fixated on getting my first real estate deal done and
Speaker 5: starting a new chapter out here in Scott still and
Speaker 5: also just having people see me for WHAT i truly,
Speaker 5: am not what was shown ON, tv which was produced and.
Speaker 1: Edited clayton set up some showings For laura later that,
Speaker 1: week and the flirtatious messages.
Speaker 5: Continued and, then obviously there was a turn of. Events one.
Speaker 1: Night clayton had just moved into a new. Apartment that,
Speaker 1: evening he went To, ikea ordered a, pizza and started
Speaker 1: to put his new furniture.
Speaker 5: Together SO i took this edible And laura was texting,
Speaker 5: me SO i sent her a text.
Speaker 1: Back this was three days After laura's initial message To.
Speaker 1: Clayton at that, Point clayton started to feed into the.
Speaker 1: Flirting Then laura made a bold. Move she sent a.
Speaker 5: Photo the SECOND i got that, PHOTO i was, like,
Speaker 5: okay well the logical brain kicked.
Speaker 1: Off clayton invited her to come.
Speaker 5: Over she was a little hesitant at. FIRST i think
Speaker 5: she was surprised THAT i was inviting her, over but
Speaker 5: then she decided that she would come.
Speaker 1: Over from, there the exact details of what happened that
Speaker 1: night are only known to two, People clayton And. Laura
Speaker 1: as we continue this, series we'll hear a few different
Speaker 1: versions of what allegedly went, down but we're going to
Speaker 1: start With clayton's.
Speaker 5: Version that, NIGHT i was looking for a hook up
Speaker 5: one thousand. PERCENT i assumed we both were on the
Speaker 5: same page because she was coming over at eight o'clock
Speaker 5: at night on A. Friday we know why you're. Coming
Speaker 5: you just sent me a photo of your.
Speaker 1: Ass, technically she's wearing leggings in the. Photo i've seen
Speaker 1: a copy of, it and if you can believe, it
Speaker 1: this picture would later be released as part of an
Speaker 1: investigation report by The Maricopa County Attorney's. Office to call
Speaker 1: a spade a, spade the photo looks like a thirst.
Speaker 1: Trap that, Night laura arrived At clayton's. Apartment they started
Speaker 1: talking and getting to know each other a little.
Speaker 5: Better i'll be honest with, you all of the conversation was,
Speaker 5: forgettable and then probably after an hour hour and a,
Speaker 5: HALF i told her to come over closer to, me
Speaker 5: and she, did and then that's when we started hooking.
Speaker 1: Up it's awkward to go into these details With, clayton
Speaker 1: but they all become critical to this. Story SO i
Speaker 1: asked him to define what he means when he says
Speaker 1: he And laura started hooking.
Speaker 5: UP i don't know how descriptive you want me to,
Speaker 5: get but, like there was no penis and vagina.
Speaker 1: Penetration laura spent the night and left early the next.
Speaker 5: Morning eleven days, LATER i received a message From laura
Speaker 5: stating that she was pregnant and attached was a photo
Speaker 5: of a positive pregnancy.
Speaker 1: Test clayton couldn't believe.
Speaker 5: It and there's no way that she could have been
Speaker 5: pregnant because we did not have. SEX i mean not
Speaker 5: in the way that would get you.
Speaker 1: Pregnant everything that happens next all comes back to this
Speaker 1: one night and two. Blowjobs on one of our first phone,
Speaker 1: calls you said THAT i was going to be in
Speaker 1: over my, head And i'm kind of understand a little
Speaker 1: bit why you said, that but, like what did you?
Speaker 5: Mean once you get fully caught up to speed and
Speaker 5: over your head just doesn't do a. Justice every time
Speaker 5: you think it couldn't get, crazier it just. Does you
Speaker 5: have the dating, contract you have forged medical. Documents there
Speaker 5: are so many layers to this story that you peel.
Speaker 5: Back one couldn't get. Crazier oh, surprise there's another, layer
Speaker 5: and it just keeps going for straining, orders a criminal,
Speaker 5: investigation and also just the hope that at the end
Speaker 5: of it, all someone's going to be held.
Speaker 1: Accountable this season On Love, Trapped.
Speaker 5: Hey, clayton this is not your typical naked video of
Speaker 5: a woman trying to impress. You my life is. Ruined
Speaker 5: everything That i'm working towards is.
Speaker 7: Gone this is either the craziest story of a bachelor
Speaker 7: villain or the biggest scam is. Happening it's one or the.
Speaker 1: Other i'm not the.
Speaker 5: Devil i'm genuinely not wanting to cause any trouble in your.
Speaker 5: Life this is where it was a whirlwind of text.
Speaker 5: Messages she's probably text me twenty five thirty times a.
Speaker 7: Day it's hard to explain to somebody how the hairs
Speaker 7: on your neck immediately go up when you see you
Speaker 7: get an email From Laura. Owens no privacy, anymore no,
Speaker 7: reputation no.
Speaker 1: NAME i can't even count how many armchair investigators who
Speaker 1: did ten times better than ANY PI i have ever.
Speaker 7: Hired we need, accountability and more, importantly we need. Protection
Speaker 7: no human could imagine another person would fake something that
Speaker 7: is so.
Speaker 5: Sensitive the crazy thing about all of this is IF
Speaker 5: i was not the. Bachelor none of this would have
Speaker 5: happened to.
Speaker 3: Me.
Speaker 1: Tratt thank you so much for. Listening please be sure
Speaker 1: to Follow Love trapped On Apple, podcasts The iHeartRadio, App,
Speaker 1: spotify or wherever you get your, podcasts and please leave
Speaker 1: us a. REVIEW a five star rating helps others find this.
Speaker 1: Show we're grateful for your. Support if you would like
Speaker 1: to reach out to The Love trapped, team email us
Speaker 1: At Love trapped pod at gmail dot. Com That's Love
Speaker 1: trapped pod at gmail dot. Com Love trapped is a
Speaker 1: production Of Glass, podcasts a division Of Glass Entertainment, group
Speaker 1: in partnership With iHeart. Podcasts this show was executive produced
Speaker 1: By Nancy, Glass Andrea gunning And Ben, fetterman, written, produced
Speaker 1: and hosted by Me Stephanie. Young our story editor Is Monique.
Speaker 1: Laboard additional production support From Todd. Gans our production man
Speaker 1: Is Kristen. Melchiri For iHeart, Podcasts Ali perry was our executive.
Speaker 1: Producer audio editing and mastering By anna McClain And Matt.
Speaker 1: Delvecchio additional editing support By Zach. Proto this podcast was
Speaker 1: developed in collaboration With Danny passman And Leb abramoff At Crybaby.
Speaker 1: Media The Love trapped theme is composed By Oliver Bains
Speaker 1: music library provided By Mybe. MUSIC a special thanks To Carrie,
Speaker 1: Lieberman Will, Pearson Jessica, Crincheck Ali, canter and the Entire
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