Clayton Echard Breaks His Silence On Divisive Bachelor Breakup

Not all breakups are created equal.

Clayton Echard‘s dramatic dismissal of Susie Evans on the March 8 episode of The Bachelor sent Bachelor Nation into a state of fury, with most of the vitriol directed back at the Bachelor himself. 

If you need a primer on all the juicy, dramatic details of the breakup itself, read here. Basically, Susie didn’t like that Clayton had told the two other remaining girls—Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia—that he loved them and slept with during their fantasy suite dates. Clayton defended himself and eventually sent Susie packing after some heated conversations.

Now, Clayton is taking ownership for his part in the debacle.

“I’m embarrassed. I knew that this moment was coming,” he said on the March 9 episode of The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast. “I’d kind of alluded to it in previous weeks. I’m not exactly shocked by the reactions online.”

See, even The Bachelor reads the comment section!

“People are very much against me and favoring her,” he said, “but I totally understand that. I totally get what I’m seeing.”

Clayton defended his decision to sleep with all three women, arguing that sex is something he takes very seriously.

“[Sex] is such a critical part of a relationship,” he said. “I cannot get engaged to somebody if there’s no sexual chemistry. It’s just me. Maybe that’s not everybody else’s. But for me, that’s so incredible. If I’m going to get engaged, that has to be there.”