Latest news with #Echard
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Bachelor' star Clayton Echard's accuser charged in paternity scheme
(NewsNation) — An Arizona woman has been indicted on fraud charges after being accused of faking a pregnancy with a star from 'The Bachelor.' Laura Owens, of Maricopa County, Arizona, is also accused of demanding child support from 'The Bachelor' star Clayton Echard, according to police. Former Disney Channel star hospitalized with severe illness Police in Maricopa County said that, in July 2024, the department started investigating Owens after a superior court judge requested it. Owens allegedly made inconsistent statements during a paternity hearing involving Echard. Owens had filed a lawsuit to get child support from Echard, but then dropped her claim and said she had a miscarriage. Investigators found that, between May 2023 and June 2024, Owens had allegedly: Changed an ultrasound photo Falsified a pregnancy video Lied under oath multiple times On May 1, a grand jury indicted Owens on several charges, including: One count of fraudulent schemes and artifices (Class two felony) One count of forgery (Class four felony) Four counts of perjury (Class four felony) One count of tampering with physical evidence (Class six felony) According to NBC News, Owens is the daughter of Ronn Owens, who is a popular radio host in San Francisco, California. Echard, the star of the 26th season of 'The Bachelor' and former University of Missouri football player, posted a video statement Tuesday, expressing his happiness over the indictment of Owens. Owens said, 'This nightmare is over… I am so ready to not have to think about this anymore. I want to say thank you to Rachel Mitchell (Maricopa County Attorney) and the investigators for serving up justice. I want to thank my lawyers. They've been incredible, standing by my side.' In the caption of his video, he said, 'Thank you all for your continued support in helping me seek justice. It has been a long, tiresome road, but we have reached the end point of where we hoped to be.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Clayton Echard Says 'Justice Is Finally Served' as His Paternity Suit Accuser Is Indicted on Felony Charges: 'This Nightmare Is Over'
The woman who lied about being pregnant with Clayton Echard's baby has been indicted on felony charges in Arizona. Laura Owens named the former Bachelor in a paternity lawsuit in 2023, alleging that Echard got her pregnant with twins after a one-night stand. But a paternity test confirmed he had not fathered the unborn twins, ending what he called "five months of torture," in October 2023. She later dropped the suit and alleged she'd miscarried the twins. An investigation into Owens' claims began last July by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Arizona, and on May 6, the office announced in a press release that she's been indicted on seven felony charges. Related: Clayton Echard Feels 'More Confident' After Winning Paternity Suit, Says He's 'Grateful' for Ex Susie Evans' Support Owens "made several inconsistent statements during a paternity hearing involving" Echard, per the release, and the investigation determined that "between May 2023 and June 2024, Owens altered an ultrasound image, fabricated a pregnancy video, and lied multiple times under oath." She was indicted by a grand jury on four counts of perjury, one count of forgery, one count of tampering with physical evidence and one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices. Echard, 32, reacted to the news of Owens' felony indictment in an Instagram video just minutes after the charges were announced, as he said, "Justice is finally served." "This nightmare is over. I am so ready to not have to think about this anymore," he said, calling the news "a weight lifted off me." "I'm literally looking at messages coming through right now from the other guys. We are so, so thankful." Related: Former Bachelor Clayton Echard on 'Really Fighting' for Himself After Winning Paternity Suit — and What's Next (Exclusive) In June, Echard scored a major legal victory as an Arizona judge ruled that Owens had "knowingly presented a false claim," and he told PEOPLE he was "kind of in disbelief" at the ruling. 'It felt odd that this has been going on for a year and just now it's I guess ended. It was very exciting though, and I was excited to go talk to the other victims and let them know as well," he said. "At the end of the day, I don't want her to do this ever again to anybody else... I think she's shown no signs of stopping,' Echard revealed. 'I mean, I was victim number four that we know of, and so we felt that especially when somebody commits a crime, they should have to face legal repercussions for doing so.' Echard also said that the Maricopa County Attorney's Office investigation, which the court had recommended and which resulted in Owens' seven felony indictments this week, was 'the ultimate win for me.' 'That's what I wanted more than anything else, because at the end of the day, I don't want this to happen again." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Following the June ruling, Echard's attorney Gregg Woodnick told PEOPLE in a statement, "This has been an exhausting process, but we are very happy with the outcome and Judge Mata's thoughtful ruling. We hope this is the end [of] the saga for all the victims. Read the original article on People
American Military News
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- American Military News
Arizona woman charged after faking pregnancy with ‘Bachelor' star Clayton Echard
An Arizona woman is facing charges after allegedly faking a pregnancy with 'The Bachelor' star Clayton Echard. Laura Michelle Owens, 34, was indicted this week for making false testimony in a paternity suit she filed against Echard that included a fake ultrasound image and a 'fabricated pregnancy video.' Owens is the daughter of Bay Area radio personality Ronn Owens. Between May 2023 and June 2024, she also allegedly lied under oath multiple times, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. She filed the paternity suit in 2023, alleging she was pregnant with twins. Echard denied the two had had intercourse. 'Owens originally filed a lawsuit seeking child support from Echard, then dropped her claim, alleging she'd had a miscarriage,' the attorney's office said. A grand jury handed down a multipart felony indictment on Tuesday charging Owens with one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of forgery, four counts of perjury and one count of tampering with physical evidence. Echard, who starred on the 26th season of 'The Bachelor' in 2022, posted a a video to social media reacting to the news of the charges against Owens. 'This nightmare is over,' he said. 'I am so ready to not have to think about this anymore.' 'We are so, so thankful, and thank you all for your support,' he added, 'I have not been this happy. This is a weight of two years lifted off my shoulders.' ___ © 2025 New York Daily News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bay Area radio star's daughter indicted over alleged paternity fraud against 'Bachelor' contestant
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways PHOENIX - Laura Owens, daughter of well-known and local radio legend Ronn Owens, was indicted Tuesday on several felony charges following an alleged paternity scheme she concocted, according to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Arizona. According to Maricopa County Attorney's Office and court documents, Laura Owens was accused of faking a pregnancy of twins, claiming former "Bachelor" star Clayton Echard was the father of her children. The woman filed a lawsuit seeking child support from Echard before withdrawing her claim, alleging she had a miscarriage. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office began investigating Laura Owens in July 2024 after she allegedly made several inconsistent statements during a paternity hearing. County officials said Laura Owens went to extreme lengths to manipulate Echard. Between May 2023 through June 2024, investigators said Owens altered an ultrasound image, faked a pregnancy video, and lied multiple times under oath, county officials said. Laura Owens was indicted on one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of forgery, four counts of perjury, and one count of tampering with physical evidence—all felonies in Arizona. What they're saying Echard acknowledged the indictments on social media, starting his video by saying "justice is finally served." "I am so ready to not have to think about this anymore. I want to say thank you to Rachel Mitchell [Maricopa County Attorney] and the investigators for serving up justice," Echard said. "Thank you all for your continued support in helping me seek justice. It has been a long, tiresome road, but we have reached the endpoint of where we hoped to be." The other side "As someone who has never been charged with a crime in my life, I am stunned by the seven felony charges announced against me by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. These allegations appear to be the result of coordinated harassment, misinformation, and public pressure in the aftermath of a paternity case I filed against former Bachelor star Clayton Echard," Laura Owens said, in part, in a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix. In her statement, she also claimed she has been targeted by a "Justice for Clayton" group. "A faction of Mr. Echard's supporters who built an entire narrative on a demonstrably false claim: that I faked a pregnancy. That accusation became their rallying cry, fueling thousands of hours of monetized YouTube content, Reddit threads, and social media obsessive cruelty. The abuse eventually moved offline. The group issued a public death threat against my mother and called in multiple false welfare checks to our home—knowing the resulting bodycam footage would be released publicly and weaponized to humiliate me further," according to her statement. Laura Owens also shared an image of Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell posing for a photo with a person who is allegedly a "Justice for Clayton" member. "I will defend myself, fully and relentlessly, through every step of this process," she said. Dig deeper Echard was a contestant on season 18 of "The Bachelorette" and was chosen to star as "The Bachelor" for season 26 in 2022. Local perspective Laura Owens is the daughter of Ronn Owens, a radio host for KGO 810 AM for nearly 50 years. Ronn Owens is a Bay Area household name, known as the "Voice of Reason" in the region, and was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2015. KGO radio personality Ronn Owens (Photo By Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images) He has interviewed several heads of state and political figures, including U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to his website. He resides in Arizona, where his daughter is facing felony charges. KTVU reached out to Ronn Owens for comment about his daughter's indictment, but did not hear back in time for this report. The Source Ronn Owens' website, Radio Hall of Fame, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, FOX 10 Phoenix
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Bachelor Clayton Echard reacts to Laura Owens' fraud indictment
The Brief Clayton Echard, a former Bachelor, says a weight has been lifted after his accuser was indicted on felony charges. Laura Owens is accused of lying about being pregnant with Echard's child. PHOENIX - A Scottsdale woman is accused of faking a pregnancy with a former Bachelor star. On May 7, FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum sat down with Clayton Echard to hear what he had to say about the felony indictment. Click to open this PDF in a new window. What we know A Maricopa County grand jury indicted Laura Owens on several felony charges, including fraudulent schemes, forgery and perjury, on May 1. Prosecutors say Owens went to "extreme lengths to manipulate" Clayton Echard. This was nearly a year-long investigation by the county attorney's office, sparked by the superior court judge presiding over a paternity case involving Echard and Owens. Last June, the judge described her testimony in court as "uncredible" and accused her of wasting the court's time. She originally filed a paternity lawsuit, seeking child support, but later dropped her claim, saying she had a miscarriage. The judge dismissed the case, but alerted the county attorney's office about what happened. Click to open this PDF in a new window. Owens is accused of fraudulent schemes, forgery, four counts of perjury and lastly, tampering with physical evidence. Echard says he's relieved that charges have been filed. Investigators believe that between May 2023 and June 2024, Owens altered an ultrasound image, fabricated a pregnancy video and lied multiple times under oath in court. What they're saying Echard says he's never had sexual intercourse with Owens. The judge presiding over the paternity claim found that Owens knowingly "presented a false claim," and acted unreasonably when she filed the lawsuit "without basis or merit." After a two-year legal battle, he's ready for prosecutors to take over. "A huge weight is off my shoulders. I feel gratitude for justice being served. This is the first time that it feels that this is nearing the end. Of course, she still has to face these charges, and maybe she will be able to take a plea deal, but for me and the previous victims, we were overjoyed last night when we heard the news. A lot of happy feelings, great vibes and a sense of relief that now the county attorney will fight her. We don't have to fight her anymore," Echard said. Last year, the court determined that Owens has a pattern of similar behavior and court involvement, hence referring this case to the county attorney's office. The other side In a statement, Owens says, in part, "These charges appear to be the product of intense public pressure, not impartial judgment. They reflect a system that responded to online outrage, ignored procedural protections, and moved forward based on narrative rather than fact." Click to open this PDF in a new window.
