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Former The Bachelor couple Clayton Echard and Susie Evans have finally addressed the reason behind their breakup. They announced their split last month on Instagram.
The couple opened up on the latest episode of Kaitlyn Bristowe's Off the Vine Podcast on Tuesday, October 4, saying that the breakup was mainly due to the criticism post The Bachelor. He said:
“I wasn’t really sure of what my next step was going to be once the show ended. I had uprooted myself, I had sold my place. I was like, 'OK, I can go wherever.' But as far as what I ended up doing -- Am I going to go back to corporate America? Am I going to chase my passions? -- there were all these unknowns. And I think it put me in a place of instability.”
Adding:
"Plus, with the backlash from the show, it became very overwhelming, very quickly. And so, what I think ended up happening is I was trying to figure out what my next step was. I started questioning who I was because of all the negativity. I started to believe some of what was being said about me."
The Bachelor Clayton Echard "felt Abandoned" after splitting from Susie Evans
On The Bachelor, Clayton faced backlash for falling in love with all three finalists - Susie Evans, Gabby Windey, and Rachel Recchia. After admitting his love for all three, Susie was heartbroken, and she left the show. The other two ladies remained on the show after being convinced by Clayton.
However, after Susie left, Clayton realized he had feelings for her and went on to win back Susie post The Bachelor. The two reconciled and announced that they were dating. The former couple even moved to Virginia together and often posted loved-up pictures on Instagram for their followers.
However, a few months after dating, Clayton revealed that Susie was moving to Los Angeles, and he was relocating to Arizona to focus on their respective careers and to figure out a way to maintain a long-distance relationship.
However, in September 2022, the pair took to Instagram last month to announce their separation.
Now, opening up about their separation, Clayton said he felt hurt and abandoned after the split. He said:
"It's really hard because when we first broke up…my first initial feeling was, like, I felt abandoned; that was my first feeling. I was upset. I didn't even want to look in her direction because I was like: If I look at you, the hurt is gonna tear me apart."
To which Evans responded,
"He was very sassy, and I didn't like it. I was like, 'Oh, that's how we're gonna do it?' "
However, the resentment towards Susie didn't last long. It "lasted like half a day," and Clayton later apologized for his behavior to Susie as he wanted to "end on happy terms."
Post the breakup, the former couple "were crying non-stop" and wondered if they made the right decision to end their relationship as they were "having so much fun now."
The other reason for separation was that Clayton realized he couldn't abandon his dream. He said he questioned himself:
"How do I find enough stability mentally that I can provide for Susie, but also I don't want to take away from me chasing after my passion.”
The former couple is now taking things "day-by-day" and not ruling out a possibility of reconciliation in the future. However, for now, they need "more time" to heal as "the damage is still too fresh" to think about.
