Breaking up — together? Clayton EchardAnd Susie EvansThey will continue to do things in their own ways, giving a joint interview on their decision to end the relationship less than two months after they split.
“There was so many factors at play. This wasn’t a traditional relationship. This was a national television broadcast. There were so many moving pieces. … I wasn’t really sure of what my next step was going to be once the show ended,” the season 26 Bachelor began on the “Off the Vine” podcast on Tuesday, October 4. “I had uprooted myself, I had sold my place. I was like, ‘OK, I can go wherever.’ But as far as what I ended up doing — am I going to go back to corporate America? Or will I follow my passions? All of these unknowns were present. It put me in a state of instability. It was also very overwhelming due to the backlash from the show. What I believe happened is that I was trying figure out my next steps. [and]Because of all the negativity, it made me question who I was. I began to believe some things about myself. And I now look back at it and realize, like, I couldn’t be that stable, secure man that I needed to be to really be able to give my all in a relationship.”
As Echard, who noted he kept asking Evans for more time to heal, continued to be candid about how he struggled with his “self-identity” and the backlash from his season of The Bachelor — he told Evans, Gabby Windey And Rachel Recchia that he was in love with all three of them — the wedding videographer began to cry.
“I’m, like, so emotional over here. … We just talked for two hours [on the phone]We were fine. I wasn’t crying or anything,” Evans said. “But yeah, I think a lot of it was just self-identity and I think that he was looking for stability. There were times. [when] I didn’t provide that as well because I just wasn’t sure. I was like, you know, ‘I can’t wait three months.’ I can’t promise three months or whatever. And I think that’s really hard in a relationship too when I’m on the other hand like, ‘I need security. … I want to be two whole people.’”
Echard & Evans made public their separation on September 23, when they released a joint statement via Instagram.
“We understand that there will likely be a lot of questions about this decision — social media is definitely a highlight reel and much of our experiences together we have kept private as I’m sure most can understand,” the pair wrote about their “painful” decision to split. “But we will share this — although this last year together has brought us so much joy and so many laughs, there has also been a significant amount of pain. We know no healthy relationship comes without its struggles, but we’ve realized that we were not prepared for the external forces that hindered our ability to not only heal as individuals but also as a couple. Both of us are determined to continue to improve ourselves so that we can be our best selves. … Although Claysie is no more, we hope that our communities can support us individually as we move forward with love and respect for each other. We are grateful for all the support that you gave us. It means more than you’ll ever know. ❤️”
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