Clayton Echard isn’t ready to date again after breaking up with Susie Evans on The Bachelor. There have been some bumps in their relationship, both on and off screen. When Susie found out that Clayton had slept with both Gabby Windy and Rachel Recchia at the Fantasy Suites, she left the show.
The first time he tried to take her back, she said no. But in another twist, they were back together on After the Final Rose. But things were not easy after the show. Clayton and Susie went through a debunked cheating scandal and the challenges of living apart before splitting in September.
Clayton is now talking about what he’s been up to since his breakup. Clayton told E! News, “I’m not looking to date right now.” He also said he still hasn’t “mentally healed” from his breakup with Suzy.
“I can’t even imagine seeing someone in that light right now,” the 29-year-old continued, “So I’m really taking this time to focus on myself.” The Bachelor alum emphasized, “if I’m not cured, then I cannot allow anyone else to be a part of my life.”
Clayton recently opened up about her body dysmorphic disorder and now works with the Anxiety and Depression Association of America to help people with similar issues. The former NFL player also told E! that he gets therapy, exercises and writes in a journal to help him heal.
Clayton said his mental health will determine whether he tries to find love on TV again. He was mocked in The Bachelor Party. He explained, “where I am today, I don’t know where I will be in a year. Maybe I’ll be in a better mental space, but I think a part of me feels like it’s ingrained in my DNA.
How are Clayton and Susie doing after their breakup?
Clayton also said that he and Susie are doing well despite the split and that they’ve checked in a few times since we broke up just to say, “Hey, how are you?”
Because of their shared experiences, he explained, “At the end of the day, we know that what we’ve been through is different than what anyone else has been through.”
Both Clayton and Susie had to deal with people who have been mean to them online. “So,” he added, “we’re probably going to be one of the few people who really get along in that sense.”
He said they don’t know what will happen in the future. “Obviously we’re always going to respect and love each other, and I think it’s a really great place where it’s not a hostile ex-situation,” the Missouri native said.
“It’s more like we’re very loving and caring, but we just want the best for each other, and who knows what that looks like?”
Some Bachelor Nation fans weren’t surprised by the breakup, but others wouldn’t be surprised if Clayton and Suzy got back together. Even in the series’ long history, strange things have happened.
Some viewers also believe that Clayton and Rachel will try to get back together. Zach Shallcross, one of Rachel’s contestants, was chosen to take Clayton’s place as the next Bachelor. Criticisms of Zack’s casting are similar to those of his predecessor, but only time will tell if his season fares better.
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