Did Susie And Clayton Break Up? Clayton Echard And Susie Evans Relationship Timeline
by Ushapriyanga | Updated Feb 04, 2023
Did Susie And Clayton Break Up?
When the former NFL player was selected as the next Bachelor in September 2021, he was met with negative criticism and was even marketed as the "underdog" by ABC. Throughout his season, this criticism only increased, particularly regarding the way he treated the final three contestants: Evans, Rachel Recchia, and Gabby Windey. Despite being intimate with Recchia and Windey and claiming to love all three women, Echard struggled to make a choice. This led to a confusing and indecisive series of events, including breaking up with Recchia and Windey after sending Evans home and later apologizing to her. Despite this, Evans declined to reconcile with Echard, leaving him as a single man at the end of the show. However, at After The Final Rose, Echard and Evans revealed they had been in a relationship for four months after reuniting after the show.
"We needed to take a step back, and when we restarted our relationship, we set down a new foundation," Evans explained to PEOPLE in March 2022. Echard added, "We're team Claysie now."
After continuing their relationship off-camera, the couple experienced several adorable moments and significant events, including moving in together. However, in September 2022, Echard and Evans ended their relationship. The news of their break-up was announced six months after Echard's finale aired. This is a comprehensive timeline of Clayton Echard and Susie Evans' relationship, starting from their meeting on The Bachelor, through their tumultuous season finale and eventual separation.
Why Did Clayton Echard And Susie Evans Break Up?
Although fans were excited about Clayton and Susie's relationship at the time of their split, the breakup was not a complete surprise. A month prior to the announcement, Clayton had revealed that they were trying to make a long-distance relationship work. Clayton now explains that this was due to a "misunderstanding and miscommunication." During a pre-podcast call, the couple realized that they had different plans for their future. While Clayton was considering a stable corporate job or pursuing his passion for speaking about mental health, Susie thought they were both going to pursue their careers and travel, rather than moving to Phoenix together. Clayton later changed his mind about the corporate job, leading to the breakup.
"When the decision wasn't to be in corporate anymore and it was to be in this kind of limbo... I was like, 'It doesn't really make sense for me to pick up and move my life to Phoenix without knowing what this is really going to look like if there's no promise of that stability that I've been hoping,'" Susie explained.
Eventually, the pressure from social media criticism, job insecurity, the planned move, and other factors became too much for Clayton and Susie to manage. Clayton stated that they are currently taking things "day-by-day" and not excluding the possibility of reconciliation in the future. Susie believes that she and Clayton can be friends in the meantime, but Clayton is unsure if he can handle the communication, as he had similar experiences with a previous ex where "those feelings didn't fade until we cut it completely off."
"There's still a lot of pain that came from the entire situation itself that I think we can both say we're kind of far off from healing from right now," Clayton said. "We need more time... The damage is still too fresh."
How Did Susie And Clayton Get Back Together?
In an unexpected turn of events, Clayton Echard and Susie Evans reconciled after their break-up on The Bachelor, making it one of the most dramatic and chaotic seasons. Over the course of approximately 10 months before finally separating, Susie and Clayton's relationship underwent numerous ups and downs. Therefore, we are providing a comprehensive timeline of their relationship, starting from the very beginning.
After the Final Rose, the couple announced they were moving in together to Susie's hometown of Virginia Beach to further develop their relationship. After less than a year on the east coast, they declared they were relocating to different states. Clayton, the former NFL player, stated that they were willing to give the long-distance relationship a chance, but if it did not work out, they would move closer to each other. He explained, "We don't know if we're going to like long-distance, people might judge us for separating, but a little distance never hurts."
“For me, sex is connective with somebody,” Susie added before heading to her own fantasy suite one-on-one. “I just hope that, like, Clayton’s on the same page and sees it from my perspective.”
As it turns out, he wasn’t. Though Clayton revealed that he was in love with Susie, she wasn’t the only one. During their intimate dinner at the Sky Lagoon hot springs, Susie admitted she would feel “uncomfortable” if he slept with other women.
Clayton Echard And Susie Evans Relationship Timeline
Echard's season of The Bachelor began filming in September 2021. On the first night, he met Evans, who left a lasting impression with her unique handshake using a buzzing device. Although she didn't receive the first impression rose (awarded to Teddi Wright), her connection with Echard was evident. In January 2022, Echard shared insights about their first meeting in an interview with Us Weekly's Here For The Right Reasons podcast.
"Susie was very fun coming out of the limo. I like somebody that has a sense of humor," he explained. "'Cause you kinda think, like, coming out that limo, cameras are all around you and you can still maintain that poise, that confidence — that says a lot about somebody. I was very impressed by her."
November 2021: Clayton Echard and Susie Evans break up
During a fantasy suite date in Iceland, Echard and Evans ended their relationship after Evans discovered that Echard had been physically intimate with Recchia and Windey and had feelings of love for both of them. The couple's heated argument sparked widespread criticism online, particularly directed toward the Bachelor. Evans stated, "I expected him to handle the conversation with more sensitivity."
November 2021: Clayton Echard breaks up with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia
After dismissing Evans and continuing with the competition, Echard came to the conclusion that he only wanted to pursue a relationship with her, not Windey and Recchia. This resulted in him ending things with both women simultaneously, which generated further criticism from fans.
November 2021: Clayton Echard asks Susie Evans to give him another chance
After ending things with Windey and Recchia, Echard reached out to Evans via a letter, requesting a meeting before her departure from Iceland. Evans consented, and Echard used the opportunity to apologize for their prior argument and express his emotions.
November 2021: Susie Evans messages Clayton Echard on Instagram
After their stressful breakups in Iceland, Evans chose to make contact with Echard by sliding into his direct messages. During an episode of The Viall Files podcast in March 2022, she stated, "I retrieved my phone, called my parents, and then sent Clayton a direct message. I was at the Newark airport, and I wrote, 'Are you okay? I will respect any boundaries you may have, but if you want to have a more open and honest conversation, here's my phone number. Give me a call.'"
March 8, 2022: Clayton Echard says he regrets how he treated Susie Evans on the show
Echard faced backlash from fans when he sent Evans home on The Bachelor, with many accusing him of being unnecessarily harsh towards her. He addressed these concerns during an episode of The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast.
March 14, 2022: Clayton Echard and Susie Evans announce their romance on After The Final Rose
After parting ways in Iceland, it appeared that there was little chance of a reconciliation between Echard and Evans. However, during After The Final Rose, they disclosed that they had reconciled and were now in a committed relationship. Evans informed Bachelor host Jesse Palmer, "We took some time apart after the show to reset and rebuild our foundation, and we're very happy now."
March 15, 2022: Clayton Echards and Susie Evans open up to PEOPLE about their relationship
When reflecting on his tumultuous season of The Bachelor, Echard expressed satisfaction despite having some regrets. He told PEOPLE, "I look back and wish I had handled certain situations differently, but in a strange way, it all worked out as I ended up with Susie and I am happier than ever."
March 16, 2022: Clayton Echard and Susie Evans announce they're moving in together
Post-show, Echard was residing in Scottsdale, Arizona while Evans was based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Despite making a long-distance relationship work for some time, once their romance became public knowledge, they both decided it was time to make a change and Echard chose to move to Virginia Beach. Evans informed PEOPLE, "We have plans for the future but haven't discussed an engagement or wedding yet. But Clayton is moving to Virginia."
March 17, 2022: Clayton Echard and Susie Evans spoof their first post-show conversation
When Evans and Echard ended up together after a tumultuous season, it took fans by surprise. Given their last intense on-air fight, many wondered about the outcome of their first post-show conversation. Evans humorously addressed this with a post on TikTok, captioned "For everyone asking what our first post-show conversation was like..."
March 18, 2022: Clayton Echard and Susie Evans give fans a peek at their post-show romance
For a significant period, Echard and Evans' reunion was kept under wraps to prevent the show from being spoiled. However, once they made their relationship public at the finale, they shared some memorable moments on TikTok.
April 2022: Clayton Echard and Susie Evans go a cross-country road trip
Echard and Evans shared their cross-country road trip plans with PEOPLE in March. Echard said, "We're going to take a road trip across the country, it's going to be a lot of fun." They embarked on the journey in April and visited destinations such as Moab, Utah, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre in Colorado, Nashville, Tennessee, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
June 23, 2022: Susie Evans jokes about her Bachelor one-on-one date
In a TikTok, Evans jokingly referenced her time on The Bachelor. She wrote, "Trying to convince Clayton to send me home on our one-on-one date, and then he hands me a rose..." In the video, she lip-synced an audio clip from Pride and Prejudice, reciting the lines, "I'm 27 years old, I have no money, no prospects, I'm already a burden to my parents, and I'm frightened."
July 12, 2022: Susie Evans calls out Bachelorette suitors for dragging Clayton Echard
In the premiere of season 19, where Echard's former partners Windey and Recchia serve as the joint Bachelorettes, several contestants made reference to Echard in their limo entrances. Evans took advantage of this by posing with screenshots of the contestants' comments, lip-syncing a quote from the audio track, "Keep my wife's name out your [expletive]," and captioning the post on TikTok, "No hard feelings... I just had to seize the moment #thebachelorette."
August 16, 2022: Clayton Echard says he and Susie Evans are trying long distance
On the Not Skinny but Not Fat podcast by Dear Media, Echard revealed that he and Evans are transitioning to a long-distance relationship. Both are moving out of their home in Virginia Beach, with Evans going to LA and Echard moving to Scottsdale, Arizona. While they plan to make the long-distance work, Echard acknowledged that the future of their relationship is uncertain.
September 30, 2022: Susie Evans uses self-care rituals to cope with split from Clayton Echard
After the breakup, Evans is focusing on personal growth. She posted a TikTok video showcasing her self-care routine, which includes wearing a face mask, journaling, and reading the self-help book "Psycho-Cybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz.
November 21, 2022: Susie Evans calls former relationship with Clayton Echard "emotionally taxing"
In her blog, Evans wrote about her relationship with Echard, describing it as "emotionally draining" and not beneficial for her well-being. She also mentioned that those close to her noticed that she was no longer shining and thriving like she used to.
December 8, 2022: Susie Evans says she "respected" Clayton Echard for giving her the space she needed
"I really respected that [space]," Evans told PEOPLE. "And then, like about a month ago, he reached out [with a] beautiful message thanking me for how wonderful the relationship was for him, how good of a place he's in now. And so it was really nice."
Did Susie And Clayton Break Up - FAQs
There has been no official announcement from either Susie or Clayton regarding the status of their relationship. However, some sources suggest that the couple has broken up.
The exact date of their breakup is not publicly known.
The reason for their breakup has not been publicly disclosed by either Susie or Clayton.
There has been no official statement from either Susie or Clayton regarding the status of their friendship after their breakup.
Neither Susie nor Clayton has made an official statement about their breakup.