‘Bachelor’ Stars Clayton Echard & Susie Evans Split 6 Months After Finale: It’s ‘Painful’
It’s over! Clayton Echard from Season 26 of ‘The Bachelor’ and Susie Evans have officially called it quits six months after the show’s finale.
Clayton Echard, 29, and Susie Evans, 29, are both nursing a broken heart. The former Bachelor stars announced their breakup via Instagram on Sept. 23, and you better grab your tissues! In the post, they both wrote, “With incredibly heavy hearts, we wanted to share that we have decided to go our separate ways. For anyone who has ever loved, knows this was a painful decision to make and not one taken lightly.”
“We understand that there will likely be a lot of questions about this decision — social media is definitely a highlight reel and much of our experiences together we have kept private as I’m sure most can understand,” their lengthy statement went on. Claysie (as fans called the duo) went on to state that despite the many positive moments there still has “been a significant amount of pain.” And that they “were not prepared for the external forces that hindered our ability to not only heal as individuals but also as a couple.”
Regardless, they are both “focused on continuing to work on ourselves, so we can be the best version of ourselves.” The TV personalities added that although it is “not an easy time” they will still “support” one another post-split. “Although Claysie is no more, we hope that our communities can support us individually as we move forward with love and respect for each other. Thank you to all of you that supported our relationship. It means so much more than you will ever know,” their joint-post concluded.
Susie and the former Bachelor star met during Season 26 of the hit ABC dating series. They did not initially end up together on the show, but actually got together after the dramatic finale. During his season, Clayton had told all three finalists that he was in love with them. The finalists included Susie, Gabby Windey, 31, and Rachel Recchia, 26.
The Virginia Beach native had told him that she was not comfortable that he was intimate with the other two women, which resulted in a blowup between them. Clayton eventually sent Susie home, but then wanted one more chance with her. Susie was in agreement, but only if Clayton cut ties with Gabby and Rachel. “I was really shocked by how everything ended,” she said during the finale. “The way you treated me, the way you turned, that’s when my mentality on you changed. I couldn’t even defend myself. I felt so vulnerable. I felt like that night you made me question my inner voice, my intuition, everything. I felt like an awful person. It was humiliating, if I’m being honest. You made me feel wrong and bad and that was the heartbreak.” Susie ultimately rejected him during the final rose ceremony, and they did not officially give it another shot until after the season ended. After all the drama, it might be best that this relationship dissolved amicably.