Laura Owens has been sentenced to 30 days in jail and seven years’ probation after admitting to felony offences linked to fabricated pregnancy claims involving former reality television star Clayton Echard and another man.
The sentence was imposed on 23 October in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, following Owens’s guilty pleas to four charges. Ten other counts were dismissed under the agreement.
Prosecutors said Owens altered an ultrasound image, created a false pregnancy video and lied under oath during civil paternity proceedings. The allegations involving Echard arose between May 2023 and June 2024, while separate charges concerned Gregory Gillespie, whom she briefly dated in 2021.
Judge Jeffrey Rueter said he had considered Owens’s lack of previous convictions, her guilty pleas, apparent remorse, family support and physical and behavioural health issues when deciding against a prison sentence.
The judge said he had weighed whether Owens was “a sophisticated con person or a very sad individual making some poor choices”, concluding that he believed the latter. He also described the offences as non-violent and said prison was not the appropriate response.
Alongside the 30-day jail term, Owens must complete court-ordered mental health treatment and have no contact with the victims during her probation. A further 12 months of jail time was deferred until October 2027, and she was warned that breaching the terms could lead to up to 12.5 years in prison.
Owens told the court she was “profoundly, profoundly sorry” for the pain, distress and expense she had caused. She became emotional while describing threats she said had been directed at her and her family.
Echard, who appeared on The Bachelorette before becoming the lead on The Bachelor, also addressed the court. He disputed Owens’s expression of remorse and said the case had caused lasting damage.
