Bachelorette’s Rachel Recchia Speaks Out After Clayton Reunion MGG

Not what it looked like? Season 19 Bachelorette Rachel Recchia spoke out after she was spotted hanging out with ex-boyfriend Clayton Echard in a viral TikTok video.

“U guys have me dedd [sic] it’s all in good fun,” the pilot, 26, wrote via her Instagram Story on Friday, February 3. “Healing and forgiveness is a lesson I had trouble learning for a long time. I promise I’m not leaving this era quite yet.”

Her post was companied by a selfie that showed her sitting a car while flashing the peace sign and wearing headphones.

Earlier this week, Rachel shared a TikTok that showed her and the former football player, 29, sitting on a couch. The clip began with season 18 Bachelorette Michelle Young lip-synching over someone saying, “Are you gonna tell me what’s going on?”

The camera then cut to Rachel, who mouthed the words: “I would, but I think explaining it might give us both an aneurysm.” At that point, the camera pulled back to reveal the Chicago native sitting next to Clayton.

In a second clip shared by Michelle, 29, she and Rachel sat at a bar while lip-synching to audio about not wanting to “talk less s–t.” As the duo gesticulated with their wine glasses, Clayton walked through the background.

The videos immediately sparked speculation that the former couple had rekindled their romance after meeting on season 26 of The Bachelor, which premiered in January 2022. Rachel was one of Clayton’s three finalists, but she left the competition after the sales rep revealed that he told her and Gabby Windey that he was in love with both of them.

Clayton proposed to Susie Evans after Gabby, 32, also left, but the wedding photographer, 29, turned him down. During the After the Final Rose special, the Missouri native and Susie revealed that they rekindled their romance after filming, but they called it quits in September 2022.

Rachel, for her part, went on to lead season 19 of The Bachelorette with Gabby. She got engaged to Tino Franco in the season finale, but the pair broke up after filming ended.

After Clayton and Rachel’s cheeky videos, Susie raised eyebrows with a social media post of her own. “Walking on the side of the street with sun not shade >,” she wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, February 1.

Some fans wondered whether the message was a pointed response to another TikTok shared by Giannina Gibelli, who is dating Bachelorette alum Blake Horstmann. The Love Is Blind veteran, 29, and Blake, 33, appeared in a clip with Michelle, Clayton and Rachel with overlaid text reading, “When you get over your reality TV trauma.” In a caption, Giannina added, “But did we?”