Bachelor star's fake pregnancy accuser jailed for 30 days

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 26 Oct, 14:31 · Archive

Laura Owens, who falsely claimed to be pregnant with twins fathered by former Bachelor star Clayton Echard, was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Laura Owens, 36, was sentenced by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Rueter to 30 days in county jail and seven years of probation. She faces up to 12 years in prison if she violates her probation.

Owens had filed a paternity lawsuit against Clayton Echard, a former star of the television show The Bachelor, in 2023. She claimed she had engaged in sexual activity with Echard and was expecting twins in February 2024. She demanded that Echard undergo a paternity test and requested a parenting plan in the event he was the father. Owens pleaded guilty to four felony charges stemming from these false claims.

At the sentencing hearing, Owens told the court: 'I know there are people who have suffered because of decisions that I made, and I want to take accountability for that.' She said she was 'profoundly, profoundly sorry for the pain, distress and expense' she had caused. Echard, 33, also spoke at the hearing, arguing that Owens was not genuinely sorry but rather 'sorry she got caught'. He said incarceration was necessary because 'she will not stop until she's removed from her environment'.

How it is being reported

• Woman who faked pregnancies to deceive ex-Bachelor star, other men sentenced to jailA woman who faked multiple pregnancies to deceive men, including former Bachelor star Clayton Echard, was sentenced to 30 days in jail. Tom Hanson reports.CBS News · 26 Oct, 14:14
• ‘Bachelor’ alum Clayton Echard’s fake pregnancy accuser sentenced to 30 days in jailLaura Owens previously pleaded guilty to four felony charges stemming from false claims that Echard had impregnated her.New York Post · 24 Oct, 18:25

In this story: Laura Owens · Clayton Echard · Maricopa County Superior Court

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log