‘Bachelor’ Clayton Echard Admits He ‘Did Not Handle It Well’ In Confrontation With Susie

There was some controversy this week on The Bachelor after a contestant told Clayton Echard that she couldn’t stay on the show if he had slept with the other women in the fantasy suites.

Too close to reality? Jade Roper is the latest Bachelor Nation member to weigh in on what went down between Clayton Echard and Susie Evans during fantasy suites — and she didn’t hold back.

Clayton Echard and Susie Evans‘ relationship on The Bachelor seemed like a fairy tale — but the two were seemingly unable to find their happy ending.

Topher Grace received a big “Bachelor”-themed surprise during his visit to “The Drew Barrymore Show” on Thursday, March 10.

. After a contentious appearance on «Women Tell All,» the villain of Clayton Echard's season stopped by the podcast to weigh in on all the drama that played out.«I do regret isolating myself from the women. I wish I got a chance to know them a little bit more.

As the season 26 finale of The Bachelor approaches, Clayton Echard is continuing to try to explain how everything came crumbling down at fantasy suites.

Explaining himself. Clayton Echard is speaking out about the backlash he received after sending Susie Evans home on the Tuesday, March 8, episode of The Bachelor.

Clayton Echard is responding to criticism that he was gaslighting Susie prior to her exit from the Fantasy Suite dates in Iceland, insisting that that characterization doesn't add up, though he does feel «embarrassed.»During an interview that aired Wednesday on Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti's , Clayton took issue with the accusation for several reasons, which ultimately boiled down to the fact that he never had any ill-will feelings behind the way it all played out.«It's tough because I've seen what everyone's saying and they're using some pretty descriptive terms, some pretty heavy-hitting terms that I couldn't disagree with more,» he said. «I don't agree that I was gaslighting because I looked that up, and it said gaslighting, the definition is to try and convince someone of a different reality than what is actually the true reality of the situation.»«Gaslighting,» he continued.

Showing some remorse. Clayton Echard doesn’t feel great about how his split from Susie Evans went down on the latest episode of The Bachelor.

Ready to start over! Clayton Echard’s season of The Bachelor is still airing, but the lead and his former contestants are already weighing in on who should be the next Bachelorette.

From one lead to another. While many of Clayton Echard’s castoffs — and other members of Bachelor Nation — are slamming the season 26 lead over how he handled the fallout from the fantasy suites, Kaitlyn Bristowe is offering a different perspective.

Bachelor Nation, prepare for another messy ending. Clayton Echard, Jesse Palmer and more have been promising a dramatic finale to season 26 for weeks — and it’s finally (almost) here.

A dramatic finish. Clayton Echard abruptly sent Susie Evans home during the Tuesday, March 8, episode of The Bachelor — and his behavior drew plenty of criticism from his former contestants.

Susie Evans told Clayton Echard the fact that he slept with two other remaining contestants was a deal-breaker for her on Tuesday's episode of The Bachelor on ABC.The 28-year-old wedding videographer from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Clayton, 28, had just sat down for a romantic dinner in Iceland when he told her that he realized he was more than just falling in love with her.Clayton said that his biggest moment for him was when she told him in Croatia that she was falling in love with him. Angry split:Susie Evans told Clayton Echard the fact that he slept with two other remaining contestants was a deal-breaker for her on Tuesday's episode of The Bachelor on ABC'I was so afraid to admit it, but since that point it's no longer about me falling in love with you, I am in love with you,' said Clayton.'Oh my gosh,' said Susie.

a preview that aired at the end of Tuesday night's episode, host Jesse Palmer ominously states, «Welcome to the rose ceremony from hell.»Jesse's words may not be far off, as it's during that upcoming rose ceremony that Clayton Echard tells Rachel and Gabby, his final two women, that he's in love with — and was intimate with — both of them.When ET spoke with Clayton ahead of the episode, he assured fans that there was a reason he came clean in that way, noting that it «felt justified based off of what all had occurred.»What occurred, as fans now know, is that Susie left the show after learning the truth of Clayton's feelings and intimacy with the other two women. Still, Clayton knew his decisions likely wouldn't go over well with America.«I will not have 100 percent of people on my side.

Clayton Echard may not get his happy ending. At the conclusion of Tuesday night's episode of , fans got a sneak peek at next week's two-part finale, which promises to bring epic amounts of drama and tears.After Susie left the show in tears upon learning that Clayton was in love with — and had slept with — both Rachel and Gabby, the two remaining women get the same confession from the Bachelor.«I want to be fully transparent,» Clayton tells Rachel and Gabby at the upcoming rose ceremony.

Clayton Echard has narrowed it down to his final two women. Tuesday night's episode of , saw its leading man travel to Iceland for Fantasy Suite dates with Rachel, Gabby and Susie, all of which ET is breaking down in the recap below.Clayton went into the week believing he «might be falling in love with all three of these women, and I also might already be in love with Susie,» and his love for all three women grew even more throughout the episode.He went deep with Rachel, had a dune buggy date with Gabby, and enjoyed a swimsuit-clad adventure with Susie, but one woman broke things off after revealing her biggest deal breaker.Keep reading for a full recap of episode 9 of .Rachel landed the first date of the week, which left Susie stewing in uncertainty, as Susie told the cameras, «If I find out that he’s falling in love with other women, or that he has become physically intimate with another woman, that would be devastating.”Rachel, meanwhile, went into the date with nerves, after hearing her name called last during the rose ceremony the week before. The pair embarked on a scenic helicopter ride full of PDA, as Clayton admitted that he and Rachel have „the strongest physical connection“ out of his remaining women.When they landed, the couple headed 400 feet underground inside an inactive volcano.

Even worse than it looks? Clayton Echard teased what fans can expect from his Bachelor ending after months of anticipation.

Not all Bachelor Nation friendships are created equally. Sarah Hamrick accused Rachel Recchia and Teddi Wright of misleading Clayton Echard about her intentions during season 26 of The Bachelor.

Clayton Echard and Shanae Ankney took their turns on the hot seat on Monday during The Bachelor: Women Tell All special on ABC.The 28-year-old sales rep from Eureka, Missouri, was scolded by the group of women he previously dated for keeping Shanae, 29, of Sycamore, Ohio, on the show for so long despite repeated warnings that she was toxic.Clayton was welcomed onto the two-hour season 26 episode by new host Jesse Palmer, 43, who starred on season five of The Bachelor in 2004. Hot seat:Clayton Echard and Shanae Ankney took their turns on the hot seat on Monday during The Bachelor: Women Tell All special on ABC'First time in a while that you've sat here in front of all the ladies.

The Bachelor's Clayton Echard. I jokingly ask whether he's received one of ABC's press mailers that included a huge Bachelor body pillow, and his answer is quite telling. “I have one, but not with me,” he says.