Former 'Bachelor' Clayton Echard Gets Justice Following Fake Paternity Scandal

Since his days on Season 26 of The Bachelor, which premiered in January 2022, Clayton Echard has made quite a name for himself. So much so that he caught the attention of a particular woman he decided to go on a date with in 2023, an encounter that turned into an absolute nightmare. After a one-night fling with Laura Michelle Owens, Clayton was hit with a paternity lawsuit for child support. By the end of that year, Laura retracted her claim, stating she had suffered a miscarriage.

Clayton, however, was left with attorney fees and decided to pursue her for those costs. A case was then opened, and the judge ruled that Laura had to pay Clayton for attorney fees and costs related to the case. Fast forward to 2025, and Laura is being indicted on felony charges, another big win for Clayton. Why? Because the court ruled there was no evidence that Laura was ever pregnant! Here's a breakdown of the paternity suit and the indictment.

It all started with a one-night fling allegedly prompted by Laura Owens's advances. According to justiceforclayton.com, Laura reached out to Clayton in May 2023, asking him to serve as her real estate agent.

Shortly after, they spent one night together, which Clayton claims only involved oral sex. He informed her afterward that he wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship. Her response, however, was to hit him with the "I’m pregnant" card.

This was surprising, given they didn’t even make it to fourth base. Laura then proposed a contract, stipulating she’d abort the baby if he agreed to date her.

When he declined, she took him to court on Aug. 1, 2023, seeking a parenting plan, and later child support, claiming she was pregnant with his twins.

By the end of 2023, Laura retracted her pregnancy claim, stating she had miscarried. However, in the time between telling Clayton she was pregnant and dropping the claim, Laura had provided ultrasound images and photos, which were later revealed to be altered.

Knowing he wasn’t the father, Clayton pursued her for attorney fees, arguing he shouldn’t have to cover the costs to defend himself against baseless claims.

In June 2024, a hearing took place, and the court ruled there was insufficient evidence to prove Laura was ever pregnant. This ruling sparked an investigation into Laura, leading to her indictment on May 1, 2025.

In July 2024, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office launched an investigation into Laura Owens and uncovered disturbing information, enough to issue a felony indictment filed on May 1, 2025.

She’s now facing multiple charges for allegedly scheming to defraud Clayton, including one count of Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, one count of Forgery, four counts of Perjury, and one count of Tampering with Physical Evidence. While she remains innocent until proven guilty, Clayton seemed visibly relieved, even celebrating the indictment on Instagram after all she put him through.