ABC Clayton Echard has been getting Venmo requests since becoming "The Bachelor."
Clayton Echard hasn’t received the warmest of welcomes after he was announced at the new “Bachelor” star, as many fans had been hoping to see Rodney Mathews or one of Michelle Young’s top three finalists hand out roses.
Bachelor franchise fans have been fairly relentless in dragging Clayton through the mud, and many decided they were done with the season before it even began. In fact, during the “After the Final Rose” special following Michelle’s finale, host Kaitlyn Bristowe actually had Clayton read some of the mean tweets that people had written about him, according to People magazine.
“I know you’re self-deprecating. I know you can laugh at this, and I know America is going to fall in love with you once they watch you,” Kaitlyn told Clayton.
Over the past few weeks, some fans have given Clayton a chance, and some have changed their opinions of him — while others haven’t, as evidenced by his Venmo account.
Here’s what you need to know:
Clayton Shared a Screenshot of His Venmo Requests
Clayton is still proving to be self-deprecating and seems to be totally fine being the brunt of the joke. He also seems to get a kick out of people who have sent him Venmo requests for wasting their time. On February 5, 2022, Clayton shared a screenshot of his Venmo requests on his Instagram Stories.
“Pain & suffering,” read one request, along with a crying face. The Venmo user asked Clayton for $50.
“The trauma of shrimp-gate,” added another, requesting $1.
“Reparations,” a third request for $3.50 read.
“For watching your season,” read a $1 request.
“Y’all need to stop this right now,” Clayton wrote over the screenshot, adding the crying with laughter emoji.
Clayton Has Had a Tough Season Due to Negative Rumors
It seems as though some fans have been determined not to like Clayton this season, and there have been a fair amount of negative rumors on the internet about him thus far in his television journey to find love.
On the January 18, 2022, episode of Bachelor Happy Hour, Clayton opened up about some of the negative online chatter. One rumor in particular is that he’s gotten around over the years.
“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,” he said, again taking things in stride.
Meanwhile, other fans of the franchise admit that Clayton has grown on them — making the Venmo requests seem like they are also just for fun.
“I was just telling my fiancé how he’s really grown on me and that Clayton even reminds me of him. He’s a good dude and I hope he finds true love,” one Redditor commented on a change-of-heart thread about the current Bachelor.
“It really blows my mind how cruel people are about him! like people are constantly saying how some of his women could do much better than him when he hasn’t done anything wrong… I think he’s funny and extremely attractive. he’s taking everything like a champ too. very much enjoying this season,” added another.
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