Bachelor Clayton Echard Shuts Down ‘Ridiculous’ TikTok Rumors About His Past Relationships: ‘I Never Claimed to Be a Saint’

usmagazine.com:

Clearing the air! Clayton Echard‘s introduction as the Bachelor was met with mixed reactions — but the season 26 lead isn’t afraid to set the record straight about his past.The 28-year-old Missouri native opened up about how he’s “still trying to figure out” where he fits within the Bachelor Nation franchise, telling Becca Kufrin and Serena Pitt on the Tuesday, January 18, episode of “Bachelor Happy Hour” that he doesn’t “want to say something that might be misinterpreted.” However, when it came to rumors about his dating history, Clayton didn’t hesitate to get candid.“As far as addressing what I’ve seen online, yeah, I’ve seen a lot of these TikToks that have come up as of lately regarding my past, you know, or the relationships that I had in the past,” the ex-NFL player began. “Listen, here’s the thing, I never claimed to be some saint, per se, or celibate for the last six years of my single life.

Like, I was single and I enjoyed that singleness. There was a period of my life where, yeah, I wasn’t looking for anything serious, and I was just having fun and enjoying that aspect of [dating]. … It is what it is.”Fans of the ABC reality series were buzzing earlier this month when a TikTok user claimed that he once walked in on his girlfriend allegedly hooking up with Clayton, who previously appeared on Michelle Young‘s season of The Bachelorette.

The former Seattle Seahawks star said on Tuesday that he doesn’t “understand a whole lot of why people bring up” things that may or may not have happened in the past.“I think we all went through this [phase] — and maybe some people more than others — but … yeah, I went out and dated and had my fun,” the tight end explained, noting that things “came to a head” when he celebrated