Woman faked a twin pregnancy involving ‘Bachelor’ star Clayton Echard. The mother behind her stolen ultrasound reveals what the photo meant
The ultrasound wasn't just another picture. It was the only one the mother had of both her twins together.
Laura Owens used another woman’s ultrasound photo to support her claim that former Bachelor star Clayton Echard had gotten her pregnant with twins. But the image wasn’t just a random sonogram she found online. It belonged to a mother who had lost one of her twins, and it was the only photograph she would ever have of both babies together.
The mother revealed what the stolen image meant to her in a letter read aloud at Owens’ sentencing hearing on Friday, October 23. She had shared the ultrasound on a personal blog years earlier, never imagining that someone would use it to fabricate a pregnancy. Owens, 36, was sentenced to 30 days in jail and seven years of probation after pleading guilty to felony charges stemming from false pregnancy claims involving multiple men.
“It is the only physical reminder in this world that both twins existed together at the same time,” the mother wrote, according to Court TV. She had never met Owens or had any connection to her before discovering what happened to the photograph. What she’d shared as a personal memory had become part of a fraud scheme involving a reality TV star.
Laura Owens’ false pregnancy claims led to a criminal investigation
In August 2023, Owens sued Echard, claiming she was pregnant with his twins after an intimate encounter that May. She sought child support, but Echard maintained she wasn’t pregnant. Owens later claimed she’d miscarried and tried to dismiss the lawsuit. By then, the court had begun questioning the medical records she’d submitted.
At a June 2024 hearing, a judge found that Owens had altered medical records and lied under oath. She was ordered to pay $149,219.76 in Echard’s attorney fees, and the judge referred the case to prosecutors. Investigators also discovered she’d fabricated a pregnancy video.
The investigation expanded to include Gregory Gillespie, whom Owens briefly dated in 2021. He had also disputed her claims of being pregnant, and his case led to additional charges, including identity theft.
In August 2026, Owens pleaded guilty to four felonies. Two counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices, one count of perjury, and one count of taking another person’s identity. Ten other charges were dismissed under the plea agreement.
Is faking a pregnancy illegal?
Someone can lie about being pregnant without necessarily breaking the law. But what happens when they use a fake ultrasound to demand child support or submit altered medical records as evidence in court? That’s where criminal laws can come into play. In Owens’ case, investigators found that she had altered an ultrasound, fabricated a pregnancy video, and lied under oath while pursuing her paternity claim against Echard.
Arizona law addresses several of these actions separately. Under ARS § 13-2002, creating or altering a document with the intent to defraud can constitute forgery, a Class 4 felony. Meanwhile, the state’s fraud statute makes it a Class 2 felony to knowingly obtain a benefit through a fraudulent scheme. That benefit doesn’t necessarily have to be money.
Falsified medical records can also affect how a court handles a paternity or child support case. Judges rely on evidence such as ultrasounds and medical reports to assess pregnancy-related claims. If someone alters those documents, the court could make decisions based on information that isn’t accurate. And under Arizona law, knowingly making a materially false statement about those facts under oath can result in perjury charges.
At Owens’ October 23 sentencing hearing, Echard asked Judge Jeffrey Rueter to impose a prison sentence. He argued that a felony conviction alone wouldn’t prevent Owens from targeting others. Rueter ultimately sentenced her to 30 days in jail, followed by seven years of probation. As part of her probation, Owens must avoid contact with the victims and undergo court-ordered mental health treatment. If she violates those conditions, she could face additional prison time.
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