Laura Owens faked pregnancy with ‘Bachelor' star, officials say. She's indicted

Miami Herald

07-05-2025

National Laura Owens faked pregnancy with 'Bachelor' star, officials say. She's indicted
Clayton Echard was noticeably excited to learn that Laura Owens was indicted on seven felony charges related to his paternity case.
Screengrab from @claytonechard's Instagram.
Laura Owens has been indicted on felony charges after a yearlong investigation into her paternity case.
The 34-year-old daughter of longtime San Francisco radio host Ronn Owens previously accused former 'The Bachelor' star Clayton Echard of impregnating her with twins.
Owens, who was seeking child support, filed a paternity suit against Echard in 2023, per the San Francisco Chronicle.
Echard denied the allegations and clarified that their previous encounters didn't involve intercourse — and that he couldn't be the father of her children.
Owens eventually dropped the lawsuit after allegedly suffering a miscarriage.
The case was then sent to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office (MCAO), which has been investigating inconsistencies in Owens' testimony.
On May 6, the MCAO announced the indictment of Owens.
The attorney's office found that Owens had 'altered an ultrasound image, fabricated a pregnancy video, and lied multiple times under oath' between May 2023 and June 2024, according to a news release.
Owens was indicted on seven felony charges, including one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of forgery and one count of tampering with physical evidence.
She was also charged with four counts of perjury.
The indictment comes nearly one year after Judge Julie Mata of Maricopa County Superior Court called Owens' claims 'fraudulent and baseless,' per the San Francisco Chronicle.
In June 2024, Owens called Judge Mata out on the 'absurdity' of her ruling in an article published on Medium.
Owens argued that her evidence couldn't be 'meaningless' after providing 'multiple at-home tests, a urine pregnancy test done at an urgent care facility, and even a blood test for pregnancy done at a lab.'
Owens also accused Judge Mata of favoring Echard due to his celebrity status.
On May 6, Echard took to his Instagram account to celebrate 'justice has finally been served.'
The 32-year-old reality star first appeared as a contestant on Season 18 of 'The Bachelorette' before being named the star of Season 26 of 'The Bachelor,' which aired in 2022.
In his video, Echard detailed the charges against Owens before saying, 'This nightmare is over.'
'I am so ready to not have to think about this anymore,' Echard exclaimed, ultimately thanking the investigators and his legal team for 'serving up justice.'
'This is just such a weight lifted off,' he continues. 'We are so, so thankful. And thank you all for your support. I have not been this happy as a weight of two years lifted off my shoulders.'
After the June 2024 ruling that found Owens' testimony to be baseless, Echard praised himself for staying strong throughout the legal proceedings.
'There were plenty of times where I felt like I just wanted to give up and not fight because it just was taking up so much of my energy to do so,' he told People at the time.
'But I just learned that sticking to it and really fighting for yourself. I mean, no one will fight for you like you will,' he added.
RB Ryan Brennan
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Ryan Brennan is a writer for Mamas Uncut, the online place for moms. He writes about the latest in baby names, parenting and entertainment.