Clayton Echard: Why I Didn’t End Things With Gabby and Rachel Sooner — and How Susie Felt Watching
usmagazine.comFor Clayton Echard, hindsight is 20/20 is an understatement. The season 26 Bachelor and Susie Evans got real about watching the finale episodes of the ABC show together, including his messy splits from Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey.After admitting to Susie, 29, during the March 8 episode that he loved her “the most,” the twosome split amid disagreements over how he handled the fantasy suite dates with Rachel, 26, and Gabby, 31.
The 28-year-old former football player subsequently convinced his other two finalists to finish the journey on the Monday, March 14, episode — before confessing again that Susie had his heart.“I made that comment [that I loved Susie the most] and when I said that I felt that way about Susie, but when she left, I realized that that ship had potentially sailed,” Clayton told Us during a joint interview with Susie on Wednesday, March 16. “And beyond that, just because I loved her the most, did not mean I had made a definitive answer that she was The One.
I do believe everything happens for a reason. And when she left, like, I said, ‘OK, I have these two incredible women here and I need to continue to pour into them because this is what apparently, exactly needed to happen.
So give these women your all and see if maybe you’ll end up walking outta here with one of ’em.’”During the Tuesday, March 15, finale, fans saw Clayton officially end things with Gabby and Rachel to pursue Susie again.
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