CLEVELAND — The Bachelor Clayton Echard has sent home all but four women who are vying for his love on season 26 of the reality dating competition show.
Ohio University graduate Rachel Recchia, 26, is one of those final contestants, remaining in the game of love after two emotional rounds of rose ceremonies and two more women being spontaneously asked to leave the show.
The private pilot broke down in tears on a group date where the women joined Clayton in a couples counseling sessions, telling him that one woman's actions had led her to feel manipulated and like there was no point in her sticking around to see where their relationship went.
Rachel was referring to Sarah Hamrick, a 23-year-old wealth management advisor from New York City, who Rachel said volunteered information about how strong her connection was with Clayton in an effort to try to get Rachel and others to back away from their own connections with The Bachelor.
Rachel shared this information with Clayton after the mental health professional on the show cryptically told Clayton that one woman was being performative, and when he asked Rachel if it was her, she exploded with emotion and reassured him that she's falling for him.
When Clayton asked Sarah about it, he said he felt like she was trying to fake tears as she talked about feeling like women she had built friendships with had turned on her after he invited her on a second one-on-one date. Clayton, seeming very fed up at this point with she said-she said drama between the women, told Sarah he didn't believe her, and asked her to leave.
This was after Clayton refused a rose to Mara Agrait in the previous elimination ceremony, after Mara called Sarah cocky, questioned her intentions and told Clayton she didn't think that Sarah was ready for marriage at her young age.
For what it's worth, Sarah cried real, visible tears both during her therapy session with Clayton (where the other women present seemed to imply it was a bad thing that she didn't seem nervous about engaging in the session, as well as in the car while driving away from Clayton, and said she wouldn't want to be engaged to someone who didn't trust her anyway.
Earlier in the same date, Los Angeles bartender Genevieve Parisi and Clayton mutually agreed that she should go when she struggled to open up to him during their therapy session.
Next up, we'll see Clayton travel to the hometowns of his remaining four love interests.
While we first met Rachel this season in a clip from her in Athens, talking about her being in flight school for six years, she's now based in Florida, so it's likely the two will travel their so Clayton can meet her family.
Check back in here next Tuesday to see how Clayton and Rachel's love story unfolds, after The Bachelor airs on ABC on Monday night.
