The Bachelor’s Clayton Echard and Susie Evans: A Timeline of Their Relationship

Credit: ABC/Pamela Littky; ABC/Ricky Middlesworth

The Bachelor’s Clayton Echard and Susie Evans: A Timeline of Their Relationship

Clayton Echard and Susie Evans' eventually found their happy ending on The Bachelor — but it didn't come without a few bumps along the way. The former football player abruptly sent Susie home on the March 8, 2022, episode of the hit series during their fantasy suite date after the videographer confessed that she was uncomfortable with him sleeping with the other two contestants — Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia — one week before potentially proposing to her. "In knowing that there's an engagement literally in a week, and there are things I can't compromise," Susie explained, before asking if he also told them that he loved them. "If I'm sharing your love with somebody else, I don't think I would be comfortable [saying yes]." After confessing that he had, indeed, told both Gabby and Rachel that he was falling in love (and that he had been intimate with both women), Clayton attempted to defend himself. "I was having feelings of love with [them] and so I slept with this person because I wanted to see how the psychical connection is. If you were in love with somebody, you would just explore that," he said. Though Susie noted that she "understands" his side of things, she was still struggling to reconcile that fact with her feelings. [jwplayer cxkCkKAj-zhNYySv2] When the Virginia native ultimately argued that she couldn't be with him after his revelation, Clayton accused her of not wanting to "fight" for their relationship and walked her out. At the time, the Bachelor stated that he had given up on finding love on the show but the Missouri native later revealed that he regretted his emotional outburst. "One of the greatest things that I learned was the power of emotion," Clayton told Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti on their "Almost Famous" podcast in March 2022 after their breakup episode aired. "When you allow that to overcome rationale ... I saw that I shut down. And I jumped to a lot of conclusions that aren't realistic, that weren't the truth." He continued: "And so I've known this before, but I know now going forward, if I ever get overwhelmed like that ever again, [I should] take a deep breath and step aside. Say, 'I need to take five,' just step away. I in that moment did not do that. And I wish I would have just taken a breather and walked outside and said, 'Give me 20 minutes,' but I didn't. I also learned again that my reality is one thing and someone else's reality is another, and perception is reality. However people perceive it, that's the reality of it." When she was sent packing, Susie said through tears, “I thought he would have more compassion for me. Regardless of what kind of love [we had for each other] at this point, I just thought we would have been better at getting through that conversation kindly." Their journey didn't end there, however. During the bombshell season finale, Clayton made an effort to reunite with the ousted contestant, which was initially unsuccessful. While she dumped him at the final rose ceremony, the pair later revealed that they gave their romance another shot once filming wrapped. Keep scrolling to see exactly how Clayton and Susie's relationship unfolded on The Bachelor: [podcast_block]

Credit: ABC/Pamela Littky; ABC/Ricky Middlesworth

The Bachelor’s Clayton Echard and Susie Evans: A Timeline of Their Relationship

Clayton Echard and Susie Evans' eventually found their happy ending on The Bachelor — but it didn't come without a few bumps along the way. The former football player abruptly sent Susie home on the March 8, 2022, episode of the hit series during their fantasy suite date after the videographer confessed that she was uncomfortable with him sleeping with the other two contestants — Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia — one week before potentially proposing to her. "In knowing that there's an engagement literally in a week, and there are things I can't compromise," Susie explained, before asking if he also told them that he loved them. "If I'm sharing your love with somebody else, I don't think I would be comfortable [saying yes]." After confessing that he had, indeed, told both Gabby and Rachel that he was falling in love (and that he had been intimate with both women), Clayton attempted to defend himself. "I was having feelings of love with [them] and so I slept with this person because I wanted to see how the psychical connection is. If you were in love with somebody, you would just explore that," he said. Though Susie noted that she "understands" his side of things, she was still struggling to reconcile that fact with her feelings. [jwplayer cxkCkKAj-zhNYySv2] When the Virginia native ultimately argued that she couldn't be with him after his revelation, Clayton accused her of not wanting to "fight" for their relationship and walked her out. At the time, the Bachelor stated that he had given up on finding love on the show but the Missouri native later revealed that he regretted his emotional outburst. "One of the greatest things that I learned was the power of emotion," Clayton told Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti on their "Almost Famous" podcast in March 2022 after their breakup episode aired. "When you allow that to overcome rationale ... I saw that I shut down. And I jumped to a lot of conclusions that aren't realistic, that weren't the truth." He continued: "And so I've known this before, but I know now going forward, if I ever get overwhelmed like that ever again, [I should] take a deep breath and step aside. Say, 'I need to take five,' just step away. I in that moment did not do that. And I wish I would have just taken a breather and walked outside and said, 'Give me 20 minutes,' but I didn't. I also learned again that my reality is one thing and someone else's reality is another, and perception is reality. However people perceive it, that's the reality of it." When she was sent packing, Susie said through tears, “I thought he would have more compassion for me. Regardless of what kind of love [we had for each other] at this point, I just thought we would have been better at getting through that conversation kindly." Their journey didn't end there, however. During the bombshell season finale, Clayton made an effort to reunite with the ousted contestant, which was initially unsuccessful. While she dumped him at the final rose ceremony, the pair later revealed that they gave their romance another shot once filming wrapped. Keep scrolling to see exactly how Clayton and Susie's relationship unfolded on The Bachelor: [podcast_block]

Credit: ABC/John Fleenor

1st Impression

Clayton and Susie connected from the moment she stepped out of the limo. “Susie was very fun coming out of the limo," he said during an appearance on Us Weekly's "Here For the Right Reasons" podcast in January 2022. "I like somebody that has a sense of humor. ... I like when I see someone that’s able to do that and then be confident about it. ‘Cause you kinda think, like, coming out that limo, cameras are all around you and you can still maintain that poise, that confidence — that says a lot about somebody. I was very impressed by her."

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

One-on-One

Susie became one of the front-runners for the TV personality's heart when she earned the first one-on-one date. The pair enjoyed a helicopter ride in Los Angeles before going swimming in the ocean.

Credit: ABC/John Medland

Falling in Love

Susie surprised Clayton with a late-night rendezvous in Croatia, where she confessed that she was falling in love with him. "On our first date, I felt totally ... swept off my feet and I felt such a connection with you," the former pageant queen said, explaining that she was putting up walls after seeing him connect with the other women. "But before coming here tonight, I promised myself I would be more vulnerable with you. ... Even though I know there's so much more to go and so much more to figure out, I do feel like I'm falling in love with you."

Clayton, for his part, revealed that hearing Susie confess her feelings made him "the happiest I have been" since the show started. "Tonight, she told me everything I needed to hear," he said. "If I ever needed validation that this process works, I'm seeing it unfold before me."

Credit: ABC/John Fleenor

Princess for a Day

One week later, Susie earned her second one-on-one date and was surprised with a fairy tale outing where she got to try on designer gowns. "I saw so many sides of Susie ... I love what I see out of her and she just really enjoys every moment we have together and so do I," Clayton said on the date, while she noted that felt "giddy" around her potential future husband.

Credit: ABC/John Medland

Establishing Boundaries

During the evening portion of their fantasy suite date, Clayton told Susie that he was in love with her — but things didn't exactly go as smoothly as he hoped as he was blindsided by the declaration that him sleeping with other women was a deal-breaker. "If you felt this strong about this, why wouldn't you tell me about this early on?" Clayton asked, before she stepped outside for a breather. "How can you do that? After all the experiences that we had, how can you just say you can't move forward?"

Credit: ABC/Pamela Littky

An Emotional Exit

The pair's argument escalated to the point that Clayton decided to send Susie home before the rose ceremony. "I don’t even know who I’m looking at anymore,” the sales rep said. “You just dropped a bombshell on me, and I don’t agree with it at all how you went about it. I think it’s BS.” We're done. I'm done. ... Anything you say to me doesn't matter anymore." The fitness instructor tried to apologize and let Clayton know that her feelings for him were "real," but he fired back that she didn't "fight" for the relationship before walking away from the car.

Credit: ABC/Pamela Littky

She Said, He Said?

During an appearance on the "Off The Vine" podcast in March 2022, Clayton told host and former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe that he was encouraged to explore other relationships by all three finalists. “All three of the women said, ‘I want you to explore the other relationships fully,’ almost verbatim," he recalled. “I looked at it like if these women stick around and watch me kiss other women in front of them — which would never be acceptable in the real world — then these real-world boundaries are kind of set aside and there’s a new playing field in this environment."

Clayton continued: "When I was [later] sitting alone in my room, that’s when it hit me. I was like, ‘You’re in a deep spot, you’re in a really bad spot. You have told three women now that you’re in love and how do you think this is going to end?’”

Credit: ABC/John Fleenor

On Gaslighting

Though he admitted that he could have handled his conversation with Susie a bit better, Clayton denied gaslighting her during their argument. "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," he told the host, later adding, "I did not manipulate her."

“I allowed my emotions to attack her and I wish I wouldn’t have done that," the Bachelorette season 18 alum continued. "I was very upset. And I let my emotions get the best of me. I’m 1,000 percent in wrong for that. And I really wish I would never have acted that way toward her. But I did not gaslight or manipulate her and that is 1,000 percent a fact.”

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

Best For Last

Though Clayton wasn't allowed to choose the order of his [fantasy suite dates, he did reveal that producers pressured him to have Susie go last because they knew how strong his feelings were toward her. “They came in and they said, ‘We think you should do this way,’ and they convinced me," he told Bristowe. "They're like, ‘You need to keep your other options open, you need to keep everything open, so don't close off. Because if Susie goes first, we're afraid you're gonna close off.’ So I said, ‘OK.’ … I did have a say in it at the end of it all."

Credit: ABC/Ricky Middlesworth

A 'Bachelorette' Audition?

As they were arguing, Clayton thought that Susie might have been trying to position herself as the next Bachelorette, rather than focusing on her relationship with him. "I thought, 'Why does it seem like she's not fighting for this? Why does she seem like she can't even give me a chance?'" he recalled on "Almost Famous," though he added that he feels differently now. "I started having these really dangerous thoughts of being like, 'What if Susie right now is just trying to get out of this? What if she's just saying whatever she needs to say to leave me so that she can be the next Bachelorette?'"

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

The Ending

While there will be a "definite ending" to Clayton's season, he did reveal that fans might be upset by the way he handled his other relationships, post-breakup. "I would just tell people to reserve judgment until they see the full story and then I think people will understand why I've done everything that I've done," he said.

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

The Final Rose Ceremony

After breaking up with both Gabby and Rachel in Iceland, Clayton wrote a letter to Susie attempting to convince her he was still all in on their relationship. She met him at the final rose ceremony, but they didn't walk away together. "I have made the decision to leave Iceland alone. It doesn't make it, like, an easy decision," she told him. "It's devastating. ... I feel like it's over."

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

The Reconciliation

Clayton wrapped season 26 single, but during the After the Final Rose special, he revealed that his love story with Susie didn't end when cameras stopped rolling. "I spent the last four months with her," he said on the March 2022 finale, revealing that Susie reached out to him post-show. "She just impresses me more and more every day. And she continues to give me reason after reason why following my heart was the best decision I could have ever made, and I could not be more in love with this woman."

Credit: Courtesy of Clayton Echard/instagram

Virginia Getaway

The duo jetted off to Virginia Beach, Virginia, days after they confirmed their relationship on the March 2022 Bachelor: After the Final Rose special.

“She ain’t Joe Byron, but she still took me out to dinner #wassupbaby,” Clayton captioned an Instagram photo with his love after going on a date night in Susie’s home state. The pair enjoyed family time with Susie’s loved ones, including her niece Saylor and nephew Tommy.

Credit: Courtesy of Clayton Echard/Instagram

April 2022

The couple fought back against cheating allegations made by a TikToker named Sasha Narang. While she initially alleged that she hooked up with Clayton after meeting him at New York City bar, the former Bachelor and Susie provided proof that he was in Arizona on the night in question. Narang subsequently apologized and claimed she was with someone who was pretending to be Clayton.

“There’s someone impersonating Clayton in NYC and it’s really freaky that I was put in that situation,” Narang told Us at the time. “He’s taking advantage of girls by pretending to be him. Their resemblance is scary and he’s memorized his entire life. I’m hoping to advertise what we now know is the truth as much as possible. I’m hoping people can help track this person's identity, and, most of all, get the word out about this messed up person."

Credit: Courtesy of Clayton Echard/Instagram

Road Trippin’

“Had to take Suze back to the hometown,” Clayton explained in an April 2022 Instagram Story video, taking a break from their road trip from Arizona to Virginia. “On the football field back where it all started, baby! Oh, Eureka [High School] Wildcats! Never gets old, never gets old.”

Credit: Courtesy of Susie Evans/Instagram

Budding Romance

“Date night with my guy ✨,” Susie captioned a selfie in May 2022 with Clayton.

Credit: Courtesy of Susie Evans/Instagram

Ride or Die

The twosome enjoyed a romantic getaway in July 2022 to the Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club in Virginia Beach.

Credit: Shutterstock

No Regrets?

“Watching it back, I was embarrassed and disgusted by my actions and the way I was portrayed or seen on TV,” Clayton said during an interview with The Virginian-Pilot published in July 2022. “Ultimately, I had to live with the fact that my narrative is what was shown. And that was hard because that’s not really who I am. I don’t feel that what I was on the show is who I truthfully am but I did those things, I became that person.”

Credit: Courtesy of Clayton Echard/Instagram (2)

Cute Confessions

Susie penned a heartfelt note to her "Clayboy," which he shared via his Instagram Story in August 2022. "Feeling very appreciative right now," he wrote alongside the photo. "To say I'm blessed would be an understatement. Everybody needs a Suse in their life! Love you, Snoozie!"

Credit: Courtesy of Clayton Echard/Instagram

Moving Out

Echard revealed in August 2022 that he and Evans would be leaving their Virginia Beach place — for different states.

“Our next step actually is, I’m moving to Scottsdale, and she’s going to move in the interim to L.A. Only a 50-minute flight apart, but we’re both chasing our dreams, and I think location-wise, we both feel that those are the spots that we want to be,” he said on the “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast. “I mean, I’m working on my computer 10, 12 hours a day. So she was like, ‘Clayton, I’ll move to L.A. and then we can travel on the weekends to see each other.’ And we’ll see. We don’t know if we’re going to like that long-distance.”

He added that the pair are “very, very happy right now,” but don’t know what the future holds. “We’re like, ‘We don’t know if it’s going to be a month-long [relationship] from here or if it’s gonna be lifetime but, like, there’s no pressure. Let’s just love each other and be thankful,’" he said.

Credit: ABC/Craig Sjodin

Calling It Quits

The pair announced their breakup in September 2022. “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,” they wrote via an Instagram statement.

The pair added: “Although this last year together has brought us so much joy and so many laughs, there has also been a significant amount of pain. We know no healthy relationship comes without its struggles, but we’ve realized that we were not prepared for the external forces that hindered our ability to not only heal as individuals but also as a couple. We both are focused on continuing to work on ourselves, so we can be the best version of ourselves.”

Credit: Courtesy of Susie Evans/Instagram

Getting Back Together?

During an emotional conversation about their breakup — during which they cited backlash from the show and Clayton’s struggles to heal as the reasons for their split — he didn’t rule out getting back other.

“We’re not going to say there's not the possibility, but there's still a lot of pain that came from the entire situation itself that, I think, we can both say we are kind of far off from healing from right now,” he said on the “Off the Vine” podcast. “We need more time. I don't know if that's three, six months, a year, two years, whatever, but like, the damage is still too fresh.”