In an unprecedented season of The Bachelor, Clayton Echard told all three women he was in love with them and, ahead of the finale, claimed he would pick whoever he love the most. Many fans have turned against Clayton after the Fantasy Suite episode, as Clayton recited a nearly identical speech about never having felt this way before. After hearing it three times, fans are questioning his true feelings. Check out why Clayton's rationale for giving away his Final Rose is problematic.
The Bachelor season 26 may actually go down as the most chaotic in the show's history. It has been a season where villain Shanae Ankney mocked most of her fellow contestants, taking much of the screen time away from the other women who actually had a connection with Clayton. After she was sent home, the show hit a lull before leading to one of the craziest turn of events that most fans did not expect from Clayton. If Bachelor Nation thought Ben Higgins made a mistake by confessing that he was in love with two women, Clayton took that idea a step further. He confessed to each of the three women that he was falling in love, and then in love with them before getting intimate with Rachel and Gabby.
By the time it was Susie Evans' turn, he told her what he said and did with the other two finalists, but that he was in love with her the most. Some Bachelor alum and fans alike supported Clayton's choice in the Fantasy Suites, but after he said that he was more in love with Susie than the others, it became more problematic. If there were levels to how far in love Clayton was, fans were wondering why he felt the need to tell the two other women and get intimate with them, since he knew his feelings for Susie were stronger.
Clayton soon became public enemy number one on The Bachelor, and he made things even worse at the rose ceremony with Rachel and Gabby. Instead of taking them to a private place and speaking to them individually, Clayton announced to both women that he was in love with all three of them and had been intimate with them. It may go down as one of the most uncomfortable rose ceremonies in Bachelor history, as it was filled with tears and embarrassment. Many fans saw it as Clayton manipulating the women so that he still had options and choosing who he was most in love with seemed like they were consolation prizes. By the end, Clayton had somehow convinced Rachel and Gabby to continue on this journey with him and meet his parents when fans learned that, plot twist, Susie had not left Iceland yet.
Even Clayton's family was shocked to learn he had fallen in love with three women, but that he also seemed to care about Susie more than the other two. Fans have shown a lot of love to Clayton's parents for bringing up the same questions they had about why he would have jeopardized his relationship with Susie by confessing his love to the other women. He has also been accused of gaslighting Susie during their argument and getting hostile to the women he said he loved. Fans cannot wait to see how this season of The Bachelor ends.
The Bachelor finale airs Tuesday at 8pm EST on ABC.