After an Arizona woman lost a paternity lawsuit against Bachelor alum Clayton Echard, claiming he fathered her unborn twins, the case is far from over. The woman, Laura Owens, is now being charged with seven felonies after prosecutors determined she falsified evidence in her paternity lawsuit. During the latest episode of Us Weekly’s Uncovered, investigative journalist Kristin Thorne revealed that prosecutors believe this isn’t the first time Owens has found herself at the center of a paternity scandal.
“Prosecutors say they don’t believe that Clayton Echard is the only alleged victim. They believe that Laura Owens also faked a pregnancy with twins with another Arizona man back in 2021,” Thorne said. “She is now facing felony charges related to that, as well.”
Owens sued Echard in August 2023 claiming she was pregnant with his twins. He denied that they ever had sex and said he proved he was not the father by taking a paternity test, which showed there was “little to no fetal DNA.”
Owens has said she suffered a miscarriage and has two lab tests which prove she was pregnant.
After Echard won the paternity lawsuit in June 2024, Owens was indicted a year later in May 2025 when prosecutors determined she fabricated evidence in the paternity suit. She has been charged with perjury, forgery and fraud.
She was indicted a second time on seven additional felony counts in November 2025 regarding a similar incident with another Arizona man in 2021. Prosecutors believe she forged documents and claimed pregnancy, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Owens didn’t respond to our multiple requests for comment.
She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutors have offered her a plea agreement.
Owens’ attorney, Christian Lueders, told Thorne they’re “not yet at the point in this case where we are ready to seriously consider a plea agreement.”
“But we’re working diligently and that time could come in the next several weeks,” Lueders added in a statement.
Lueders went on to say he is reviewing all the evidence in the case to see how it could be presented to a jury. Once he and the prosecution finish that process, the two sides will later meet to discuss how they see the case going to trial and whether Owens will accept a plea agreement.
If Owens doesn’t accept a plea deal, the case will go to trial in July.
Lueders said his client should be presumed innocent.
Echard explained to Thorne he came forward publicly with his story in order to hold Owens “accountable” for the claims she made against him. His story is being featured in a podcast called “Love Trapped.”
“How do we deter future perpetrators from doing this? We hold them accountable,” Echard told Thorne. “If, you know, Laura is locked up in prison for five, 10 years, well that’s gonna probably make a perpetrator go, ‘Hmm, I probably shouldn’t do this.’”
