Daughter of Bay Area Radio Host Indicted for Allegedly Faking Pregnancy With Former 'Bachelor' Star Clayton Echard

Laura Michelle Owens, the 34-year-old daughter of Ronn Owens, allegedly engaged in the campaign of deception from May 2023 to June 2024,

Laura Michelle Owens, 34, daughter of longtime San Francisco radio personality Ronn Owens, has been indicted on seven felony counts in Arizona for allegedly fabricating a pregnancy and lying under oath in an attempt to obtain child support from former Bachelor star Clayton Echard.

The charges, filed by a Maricopa County grand jury, include perjury, forgery, tampering with evidence, and fraud. Prosecutors allege Owens engaged in a calculated scheme between May 2023 and June 2024, falsely claiming she was pregnant after a brief encounter with Echard in Scottsdale, Arizona. The two reportedly engaged in oral sex twice during their May 2023 meeting. Echard, 32, denied any intercourse occurred and attempted to end their interaction the following day. Just eleven days later, Owens claimed she was pregnant.

She sought child support from Scottsdale's Clayton Echard, the star of The Bachelor Season 26. He denied ever having sex with her, and Owens dropped a paternity case against him months later

Owens later dropped her paternity lawsuit after asserting she had suffered a miscarriage. However, court documents now allege that Owens fabricated evidence, including an altered ultrasound image and a fake pregnancy video, to support her claims. The indictment asserts she repeatedly lied under oath, misled the court, and manipulated medical documentation to falsely present Echard as the father.

The Bachelor Season 26 star publicly celebrated the indictment, calling it the end of a two-year “nightmare.” “Justice is finally served,” Echard said on Instagram, telling his 300,000 followers, “I have not been this happy. This is a weight of two years lifted off my shoulders. It feels good.”

Owens, 34, is the daughter of Ronn Owens, a Bay Area radio legend

The charges follow a lengthy investigation prompted by a judge’s skepticism of Owens’ original paternity claim. The judge described her complaint as “premature at best” and “fraudulent at worst,” prompting authorities to launch a deeper inquiry. That investigation ultimately uncovered what prosecutors allege is a pattern of similar accusations made by Owens in the past.

Owens demanded he 'take a prenatal paternity test' to prove his parenthood, after using a fake ultrasound image and a 'fabricated ... pregnancy video' to make her claims

Court documents reference multiple past incidents in which Owens was accused of falsely claiming pregnancies to other men. These include alleged fabrications dating back to 2014 and 2016, involving individuals such as Michael Marraccini and Greg Gillespie, as well as an unnamed former partner. While none of these prior allegations have been proven in court, their inclusion in the indictment helped persuade the grand jury to move forward with charges.

In response to the indictment, Owens issued a statement denying all wrongdoing. She claimed she is being targeted by an orchestrated online campaign labeled “Justice for Clayton,” and argued that the charges were the result of public pressure rather than due process. “These charges appear to be the product of intense public pressure, not impartial judgment,” she wrote. “They reflect a system that responded to online outrage, ignored procedural protections, and moved forward based on narrative rather than fact. I intend to meet these accusations head-on — and I will defend myself, fully and relentlessly, through every step of this process.”

Ronn Owens, now retired at 79, was the host of a ten-minute weekday radio program that aired in San Francisco for 46 years called the Ronn Owens Report. Its final episode aired in 2021. He's seen here with his daughter the year before

Ronn Owens, now 79, hosted “The Ronn Owens Report” on San Francisco radio for 46 years before retiring in 2021. His daughter’s legal battle has cast an unexpected spotlight on the family.

The paternity suit was originally filed shortly after Echard ended his relationship with Bachelor winner Susie Evans in late 2022. Owens’ demand for a prenatal paternity test, combined with falsified evidence, ultimately unraveled under scrutiny in family court.

Owens continues to insist she was pregnant, though investigators and family court have determined otherwise.