Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing absolutely nobody can deny, it’s that there is a lot of history between Rachel Joanne Recchia and Clayton Ray Echard, who first met back in the fall of 2021. It was actually for the latter’s season of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor’ – season 26 – ultimately leading them to develop a deep, romantic connection before everything turned upside down. Therefore, with both of them now winding up as cast members of Netflix’s ‘Perfect Match’ season 3 and revisiting their past, fans couldn’t help but wonder more about their bond.
Rachel and Clayton Have Had a Really Messy Relationship
Back when ‘The Bachelor’ season 26 was on the air, there was a significant portion of time when Clayton seemed like an ideal man who was both attractive and emotionally intelligent. He did kiss almost every single one of his potential suitors, but Rachel definitely stood out to not only him but also the audience, owing to her sheer compassion as well as kindness. In fact, the way they connected over time appeared and aligned over every core aspect, with everyone hoping they would walk away engaged, yet things changed right near the end.
The Fantasy Suite week is when Clayton found himself in confused trouble as he told his final three that he loved all of them – this comprised Rachel, Gabby Windey, and Susie Evans. However, the latter chose to leave after he also admitted that he had gotten intimate with the other two, just to then desperately plead with the remaining woman to stay during the rose ceremony. What no one could have ever imagined is that he would ditch them in the very next episode to pursue Susie, especially as he had already asked Rachel’s father for her hand in marriage.
Clayton shattered both Rachel and Gabby’s hearts rather unempathetically, but they did get a silver lining in the form of quickly being cast as joint leads for ‘The Bachelorette’ season 20. The former then went on to be a contestant on ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ season 9 before finding herself on Netflix’s ‘Perfect Match’ season 3, unaware she would bump into her ex, Clayton. He initially believed this was fate, so he opened up a conversation and convinced her to match up, only to get the “intuition” it wasn’t right a mere day later and break up with her all over again.
Rachel and Clayton Are Over For Good
Rachel was admittedly, understandably, weary of getting involved with Clayton after all these years, but she also didn’t want to keep wondering “what if” since she had once seen a future with him. The way he talked about how they have both grown and are now likely completely different from who they used to be also melted her heart, particularly as he took accountability for the past, too. But alas, just like before, he hurt her and shattered her expectations less than 24 hours later, following which he went on to match her up for a date, making it clear they were truly over. Since then, although they have seemingly spent time together at social events like Netflix’s Summer Break as well as kept in touch via social media, it doesn’t appear as if they have or intend to ever rekindle their romance again.
Rachel and Clayton Are Currently Prioritizing Their Respective Careers
When we first came across Rachel on our screens, the Clermont, Florida, native was a proud flight instructor who was working on her hours to eventually become an airline pilot. She has since achieved this milestone, meaning she leads a very comfortable, travel-filled life at the moment, all the while surrounded by loved ones who support all her dreams and ambitions. Whether it be California, Ohio, Texas, Botswana, the Aeolian Islands north of Sicily, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands, England, Malaysia, Indonesia, Belgium, France, or Portugal, she has been everywhere in the past few years. As if that’s not enough, it’s imperative to note this 29-year-old is a wildlife conservationist too, presently working with Save Our Species Alliance and an elephant orphanage to save them from trafficking, poaching, and conflict.
Coming to Clayton, the Eureka, Missouri native, former football athlete turned medical sales representative at Stryker Corporation, is now a proud entrepreneur and public figure in every sense. He has actually embraced his reality television stint to such an extent that he often refers to himself as a “Dating Show Professional” these days, all the while also making the best of his fan following. In fact, the dance enthusiast as well as mental health advocate is the proud host of ‘Beyond the Cover’ podcast, has already published a book titled ‘180 Degrees: On Mental Health, Mindfulness, and Unlocking Self-Belief,’ and is associated with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Furthermore, currently residing in Scottsdale, Arizona, he runs an Airbnb, owns and operates a solar panel business by the name of Green Muscle Solar, and he is a real estate agent under the banner of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty.
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