Wind Down with Janet Kramer and iHeartRadio Podcast.

All Right, so today's guest, we are bringing on Clayton.

He was on the Bachelorette, he was a bachelor, and now he's on the Perfect Match.

He is quite the villain, but is he really?

Who is Clayton?

Is?

The question?

Is Clayton ready for true love?

Bom boom boom, Here he comes.

Hey, guys, how's it going?

Hi?

Oh are you good?

I'm doing great?

Good?

Oh?

Look at that little grin.

Clayton's like, what am I up against?

Two women on a couch?

This ought to be comfortable.

This is gonna be one on one thing.

I didn't realize I was going to be the the outnumbered one.

Don't act like you're not used to dating two girls at once, Clayton.

But I bring another twenty eight of you guys, the real quick, very.

Good Clayton, Clayton, I'm Jana.

This is Krista.

Hi Clayton.

Yeah, So, I mean, listen, I don't want you to feel ganged up on, but we are two scorned women.

Essentially, I'm gonna get ganged upfore.

Okay, we're about twenty years older than your normal age group, so we have perspective on a lot of things.

I think that, yeah, it's probably refreshing, but.

No, fair enough.

Yeah, I'm all for accountability.

Okay, good, I think do we see?

I see fifty two minutes on a timer?

So you guys were already rolling.

So did you already do some pre talk before I came it came in here?

No, we did some pre clarification.

We did see this.

I have to listen to it now.

You guys are like the first off, just so you all know the listeners, this guy sucks.

He's about to come in the room.

No.

It did take a minute with your org chart though, because it gets a little confusing with all the women.

And then we went back and revisited a couple so I just needed a second to get on it.

Gosh, I guess like my first thing is because if I'm honest, right, I hear, I hear obviously all the things and you see the headline, and I'm the first person that you know this is headlines are headlines.

They're meant to be not super kind and you know, but I guess for you, what do you think people's perception of you is?

And then what is like who is claim because I would love to get to know you as opposed to what I have been told about you.

Does that make sense?

Yeah?

So I mean, yes, it makes complete sense.

So who am I?

Which?

I love that question.

I in fact, I like to bring it up myself.

It depends on who you ask.

So I know that my perception on social media and then my perception on reality television, and then my real life persona are all different.

In a way, I.

Would say that my social media perception and my real life version me are very close, but the reality television version I feel is different from my real life self.

And the reason I say that is because what I believe people think I am is a villain based off of my reality TV experience.

I had a hard time on an understanding that they're accepting it for a while, and I blamed production.

I've still nowadays, I mean, as of.

Recently, I've started to be like, hey, look like it's a shared effort.

I do believe that the edit has something to do with it.

That being said, I've just come to terms with there's really no nuance that's ever shown on reality television, Like they just don't have time they have to Basically, it's good or bad.

So it's either happy or sad.

We need to get the audience to see someone as good and the other as bad.

And every situation that I've been on TV, I've been the bad guy.

Well that makes sense because you really couldn't make the other party bad, like you can't really make them the bad people because I was the one doing the breaking up.

So it makes sense.

But there's a lot of deeper discussions that are being cut from the edit that I feel if you sat and listened to it and you'd be like, all right, I understand, like there's reasoning behind all of this.

We're getting this like quick cut high emotion, you know, and he looks like he doesn't care, when it's like I do deeply care.

I have trouble sometimes expressing my emotions, which I'm working through.

I grew up in a household of boys, no sisters, a very old school dad.

Like I'm this is all new to me.

Emotional intelligence wasn't really a thing that I was taught.

We were just taught to go play sports.

We didn't talk about our emotions ever.

So I've been working really hard in the last few years to show, like to just to improve, to make it easier on my own self.

But I realized that, like, I just went on a TV show where I broke up with somebody from my past all over again, and it's like, oh, this guy hasn't changed.

That's the only thing that I'm like, No, it's not true.

But I understand why you think that, because you're seeing a little sliver of my life.

And yeah, I think they could have been more favorable on the edit.

They just weren't.

But that's rare.

So then what is the truth of that, because you did technically go back on a show to essentially rebreak up with someone, right, So what is the truth that we then didn't see?

Well, I would say this, I don't think it's fair for people to be heavily scrutinizing me based on what I did, because what I feel like I did was I went back to an X that I happened to bump into after a few years.

I would equate this to like real life scenario, You're out at a bar in a different state, you bump into an X.

You're like, oh my gosh, what are you doing here?

It's been a few years.

You're like, you sit down, you chat with them, you have some drinks, emotions are running high.

You're like you're remembering all the good times, You're talking about all the fun moments, and you're happy to see this individual and everything feels great.

Then you decide to go your separate ways and you wake up the next morning and the emotions have subsided.

Now the excitement's gone.

No rationale kicks in and you're like, no, that can't work, Like, yeah, I was really great to see my ex, but that there's a reason why I didn't work in the first place.

I feel that's exactly what happened.

So I don't I get blown.

I get frustrated because I see like these pitchforks and people saying I'm a monster and I don't deserve love, and I'm getting death threats and all this stuff, and it's like, guys, I went back to an ex, like who hasn't done that?

And I understand that.

Then people say, well, you should be more cautious about how you handled her, and it's like I felt like I did say, hey, look like you got to do it's best for you and I can't promise anything, and I felt like that was me saying like, look, we're here.

I believe this is all happening for a reason, and I truly believe that.

That's the way that I operate.

I'm like, everything that happens to me is not a mistake, Like every single thing I do.

That's that's a belief system that I employ.

So, you know, people mocking me and saying, oh, he's just saying these things and like, no, I believe them.

But if you're not going to believe my words, then you won't believe me.

And I think again, people are just looking for a villain in my opinion, project their own emotions onto I'm like, I didn't kill anybody.

I didn't do anything super serious.

I gave it a shot with an X.

We talked.

A few years had passed.

I thought, hey, we're different people.

Maybe we can match now, maybe this makes sense, like maybe it was the right person, wrong timing three years ago.

I do get that piece where I mean, I could think of my password, you know, I can also really relate to the villain piece and the editing, like, of course you are the villain in that, because you are the villain in this, and I do know somebody else that is coming out on another reality show that was a villain and I talked to someone that was on the show.

I was like, Oh, what happened to that guy?

I'm curious because I was thinking maybe he was going to have this authentic return, but he left because the producers kept badgering him on this one thing and they made him exactly who they wanted him to be from the last thing.

So it's you know, I get that you were placed in that, and it's unfortunate that the happening.

You know, So there's a piece that I'm like, oh, I feel for you, Like that sucks.

Yeah, I was probably naive to like think that, you know, I was gonna be I thought again, I'm like, I know how much work I've done, you know, I still, to this day, I have had to forgive myself because I took a lot of accountability on my shoulders off the Bachelor.

I took like all the heat and I was like, oh, maybe I am a monster.

Like that's how bad it got.

I started to think, like, believe what people said about me.

I've now doubled back.

I have self love and self confidence and I'm like I did not do anything that serious.

Like was it bad?

Yeah, But like the whole show's purpose was for me to date multiple women.

I did, and I fell in love with multiple women.

After I fought it for so long, I was like, I'm not off camera.

I was like, I'm not going to fall in love multiple women.

That'd be a train wreck.

I can't do that.

But then you're given permission to do it by the women and the producers, and you're like, Okay, I'll open my eyes up to it, but like, hey, there's a chance I can fall in love the multiple people.

You get told to basically to explore the relationships fully by all final three women all said that verbatim, and you're like, well, about to go into fancy suitets, what does that mean?

You know?

So all these all this permission and then you do it, and it's like you're you're basically thrown out to the wolves and said you're you're, you're, you're terrible.

And it's like.

I checked in and gate and asked for permission and thought everything was fine, and then ultimately like was villainized, and I just I'm not at a place now where I'm like, you can hold your beliefs, you can think whatever you want.

I'll explain nuance if you want to talk about it.

And if you still don't like me at the end of it, at least you've heard me out.

But how much of that do you actually believe?

Because I've said that same thing for many years, but it took me many years to actually not let the comments affect me.

And even to this day, there's still a percentage.

It's a low percentage, but it's still hurts.

Yeah, yea, yeah, yeah.

I would say, like, I was a major people pleaser growing up and I'll live until probably about I don't know, a year ago maybe, and so every comment affected me.

I remember when I was the Bachelor, and it's like I wouldn't even look at positive comments.

I was like, yeah, whatever, it's positive.

But then I'd see a negative one and I would just click in on it and stare at it for like minutes, and I was like, how can I change so that this person doesn't think, like think about me like this anymore?

And I said, I've said it multiple times, like one negative comment held the way to fifty positive comments, like I needed fifty positive in order for it to like basically like knock out one negative comment.

Well, I got an influx in negative comments, so I felt like the whole world was turning against me.

But I'm at a place now where I would say there's only there's only two comments that nowadays that really upset me.

One of them I just posted about in my story.

A woman basically told me that I should I should have taken my life on one of my.

Mental health posts.

So I called her out.

On her on my story and I usually used to block out their names.

Now I'm like, no, if you're going to come in and say this to me, be reckless, like I'm going to air you out.

So I did, and she deleted her Instagram.

So whatever she learned her lesson, I suppose, like definitely, I'm like, good, don't ever say that to someone ever again.

The other thing that like only affects me is when men try to play be tough in my DMS.

That's just an of an ego thing.

So when I get tough guys, they're like, if I saw you in person, i'd slap you.

I'm like, you wouldn't do shit, dude, like slap you.

Yeah.

It was like, I don't know how tough it is.

Actually, Oh, they don't say slap, but I'm like, I start typing stuff out.

I'm like I would I would pinch you if I saw you in.

They're like, oh if I see you in person, like it's on site, like you're you're not gonna you know, breathe another breath.

And I'm like, dude, shut up, Like, first off, I'm not afraid of you whatsoever.

Like I'm not trying to be a tough guy.

But my ego gets in the way.

It's like, I I know my stature and I've I've been I plays high level ball.

I'm not afraid of any any man.

And I'm just like, look my ego.

That's only two things that gets me.

And I don't ever comment back because I'm like Clayton, that's immature.

You don't need to try to like out tough in this guy.

He's not gonna ever see you in person.

You won't do anything.

Who cares anyways, it's fighting as stupid.

But those are the only two things that get me.

Nowadays, people call me ugly, saying I'm not deserving a love I don't believe.

Okay, well we know that's that that's not true.

Yeah that you know that's not true.

They would have never put you as the bachelor.

But all the time, and that's that's.

Because I mean, we get it too, like it's but that's that's their own in security.

Yeah, production.

Yeah, and they want to hurt you.

Yeah.

Okay.

I think it's really important for people to remember that reality TV is not reality.

I think that we need to like just have a moment with that because they're creating scenarios and they're creating plot lines.

And I was part of a program that We're Tired long before you were born.

It was a reality series and they tried to villainize me kind of, and I was like, that's gross, and I was just thankful I didn't sign up for a second show.

Clayton, you went back at it, buddy.

Yeah, I like this stuff.

I think it's I can.

Tell you like it.

Yeah, I can tell you like it.

My question for you is are you ready to be in love and to settle down?

Do you seem young to me?

How old are you?

Yeah?

I mean that's still young?

Yeah, but you do you feel right?

Did you want to be famous or did you want to fall in love?

Or did you want both?

Well, it depends at what point in my life you asked me, so I Reacheler.

Okay, Well, first off, all, let's go bacherette.

Bacherrette, Ok, yeah, uh no, no, no bacherette.

I was literally doing it because I thought, hey, this, I'm going to maybe just go on the show and some girl will watch this somewhere in the country because I was living in Columbia, Missouri, and it was a lot.

It was a college town, and I was getting old there.

I was like twenty eight, and I was like, oh my gosh, no one, you know, there's no twenty eight yearls that live here.

Like everybody leaves college town after they're done.

But I was working in medical sales, and so I thought, hey, if I go on the show, some girls somewhere in the country is going to see me and they're going to potentially want to, you know, potentially pursue me.

And so maybe I can like bring her to Columbia, Missouri because I have this great you know, this good job.

So I thought, just like, hey, throw myself out there for the world to see and maybe, like I can you know, find someone, you know, through social media.

That's what I was doing on the Bacheorette.

Bachelor became an opportunity because it was like why would I not.

They're just like, hey, you want to be the Bachelor.

I hadn't even left the bacherette and they asked me, and I was like, yeah, why not.

That's like a life changing moment, you know, like to be the Bachelor.

Uh.

And and then this time around it was it was opportunity focused.

It was like, hey, I know how what opportunities can come from reality television, brand deals, trips, Like your life becomes easier in a way, and you can make easy money.

And so I was like, yeah, sure, I'll do this for opportunity.

And then I told the show I said, I'll keep an open mind, but just so you know, I have I do have a type.

And like and they bring back your we know.

And they bring back my ex.

But I said, look, I go, I'm picky, but I'm willing to like, I am willing to settle down if the right person comes around.

That being said, I don't feel any pressure to do.

So I'm like, what is your type?

A little bit fiery right now.

It's it's the last six girls I've talked to Latina, So I'm really on like talking to.

Like, there's someone that can put you in line.

I think that might be good for you.

Yeah.

So here's the thing, Like The reason why I reality television is because I used to live a pretty mundane life when I was in medical sales prior to reality television.

And once I open up Pandora's box, I was like, I kind of like a bit of chaos in my life.

I have my day to day.

I do real estate, I do solar panel sales.

Makes me good money, and that stuff's just normal and I know how to do it.

I'm good at it.

But then I'm like, I get bored now because after you go on reality television, you're chaping, You're chasing dopamine hits.

You're like, I need I need to feel the high somewhere else.

I played high level football, you know, briefly in the NFL.

It's like I'm chasing a dopamine hit.

Reality television does a really good job of giving me that.

So it's like whenever I get bored with life, whenever they reached out perfect match it, I was like, yeah, easily, I'll do this, Like.

We just want you to come on and dance.

I was like perfect, And so I was like, I get to be my goofy self, put out this new version of me, and it's it excites me.

I found myself before I went on Perfect Match, doing the same thing with the women I was talking to, though, I was looking for some girl that I'm like, this is not a girl that I would marry, but she's the kind of girl that's going to keep me on my toes and she's fiery and when I go out, like I ever know, she's just got a lot of different you know, a lot of energy to her.

So I think it's probably not what I need long term, but I do like a woman that's independent, knows what who she is, and it's like I don't need you, Like I really don't need you, but we can like I want you and we can grow together.

I kind of feel like I need that type of individual.

If I was big sistering him right now, I would be like, you need another seven to eight years to do these things and have fun, because I think that like when you said the like this is just what I'm hearing.

But when you said the getting bored, I'm like, I to me, do not hear someone that then wants a serious relationship in this moment, because then it's going to be boring too once the relationship come.

It's like you it's like you got to get some more fun out of you, and then you will probably be the best catch ever.

You know, maybe I think that the right thing.

You're not selling me.

It's not bad like go go thirty two.

Oh my gosh, like live there's no rush.

I mean, mom my mom doesn't want to hear that.

She doesn't hear my parents plats.

They said I'll be single tome forty.

I think that's what I'm thinking.

That's what I'm thinking.

Yeah, but that's okay, And that's okay because then you then you will be the right person, like you know, my ex that came off of football all the things, like he was terrible to me, he wasn't ready, you know, and who knows when he will be.

But I'm just saying, like I think my husband is forty when we met.

Yeah, there's such thing that I think switches at that forty with that soul that you either the energy and the fire that you have in you, you know, And that's okay, there's something wrong with that.

I just don't want you to continue on the war path of hurting girls that are sweet girls.

No, I don't want to do that either, like.

Exactly, especially if you can't adequately express fully right to them at the moment.

Yeah, well, well what do you mean by not adequately.

Like hot seat because you said you have a tough time, like you're working on it, but if you can't express fully and that takes time, right.

Yeah, I mean I think mainly when I say it's like I'm not, I don't show it in my face.

So like there were times on Perfect Match where I'm like watching and people it's a silly example, but I was match with Juliette.

Everyone people like every time Juliette comes up and talks, he seems so mad.

I just have resting bitch face.

That's like I just but I'm like, I looked at him like laughing.

I'm like, it does look like I am actually annoyed by her coming out to me, But I'm not.

That's just my default face.

Like I don't I'm not really good with my expression.

If I'm sad, you're not gonna see it on my face.

You're gonna my face whether it's sad, angry, happy, I'll smile a lot.

I mean, that's the one thing.

It's like, if I'm happy, you'll see me beaming.

You know, my cheesing smile.

But other than that, it's like, I don't have this range of emotions that you'll ever be able to see on my face.

That's where I think it can sometimes look like it happened on the Bats or when I did the Rows Ceremony from Hell and broke up with the women.

It's like people are like, he's heartless.

He's just staring at these women, and it's like I was concerned and I was white listening to them attentively, but my face showed like I was bored, and I was like, oh my gosh, Like and I saw that.

I'm like, yeah, I can see what people are saying, but.

Also you're a human, Like we go through that here too.

People will be like, oh, I could tell that she was salty or she and I'm like, actually, I was just listening.

I was just listening.

And I love that you're not.

You're at a place too where the comments aren't affecting as much, because I mean, seriously, for like five years, I was like, Okay, they say I'm this, and I'm gonna try that.

It's exhausting to try to prove yourself to people that don't know what's in the four walls and who you truly are, and you know, and I even hate that I had a preconceived notion about you because I think you're great.

I think you're just I think you're great.

I don't think you're ready.

Also, Clayton, I have a question.

I mean, you're precious, but I still am like, Okay, I.

Would love to prove you guys wrong.

We'll see I do that shows anything.

But something that you guys said, you're like, hey, you know, I think that when you settle down, someone will be boring.

I actually disagree.

I think the most fun times that I had I could think back to one.

X Okay it was.

It was the stupidest, stupidest stuff.

Like I remember like the little jokes that she would make, and I was like, this makes it so much fun.

If I was sitting in my house right now, I'd be boring as hell.

But I think like when you have a really strong connection with somebody, it gets more fun.

I don't need to jump out of a plane.

I don't need to like that kind of adrenaline.

In fact, I don't want to do that that kind of stuff, or like cliff jumping.

I mean like I'm like, I don't need that kind of adrenaline rush.

I get an adrenaline rush being with somebody and building a connection.

So I think, like I just wanted to highlight that.

It's like I think, when I'm with the right person, I get more.

There's no boredom.

What's that makes sense?

I get a say he tracked me in my thirties and my dating and putting a camera on it, I'd be mortified, and you would.

Your life would look like cake.

I was a train wreck in my thirties.

I think most of us are.

I mean, that's where again, I'm like, I'm just trying to show people I'm human.

I don't want you to put me on a pedestal, but I'm tired of people kicking me into a corner.

I'm like, I'm no longer letting y all kick me into a corner.

I'm just not But don't put me on the pedestal either.

Like, I know what I am.

I know my weaknesses, I know my vices.

I'm like, I know, but I'm like, but you all keep making out to be a monster in reality television.

I'm not like, I'm I'm nowhere near a monster.

I'm a good person.

I'm not great per se like you can find someone who's a bigger saint.

Freddie on Perfect Match is a perfect example that man's a saint.

I love Freddy, yes, as advertised, advertising as advertised.

So I'm not on Freddy's playing field.

I'm not trying.

I mean, I guess nobody.

You can't all be Freddy's, do you know?

Like that's what I that's this part of this reality casting.

If it was a bunch of Freddie's, no one would watch fair enough.

And I think Freddie even knows that.

It's like, yeah, I mean you want some dramatic individuals like Louis was a little ringleader, and Louie's personality is so fun.

I actually look up to him.

He's twenty four years old, but like he's he's authentic and that's hard to find these days.

And so they pulled the right people all in the room that it's like here's the stir, here's the sweetheart, you know, here's the chaos enabler, like they and it all.

Comes together and the show is doing okay.

I think for that reason, right, because there's enough drama to carry it.

Had we all been perfect, no one watched the show so and I would.

Never date a Freddy Just so we're clear.

So that's my toxic trait, Like I think he's lovely.

You wouldn't either, I would either.

No, we'd run him over.

Yeah why why?

Why would him over?

Because he's he's too sweet, but he's not enough man to me, Like I need someone when and I said to you, I think you need someone that's a little firm on you and a little bit a very Scottish husband.

I need his firmness for my wildness.

And I have a red neck husband and he and I needed his firmness to come in and go.

Actually, girls and guys don't need to be fat and yeah exactly for him to be like, no, that's not how it flies.

Oh I okay, Like yeah, yeah, we need that for you, that's all.

And I think you could be ready in a fiery Latino watch I'm saying, That's what I'm saying.

Yeah, that's that's why the last six girls I've talked to involving La Tina, because I'm like, I'm gravitating towards that energy because they're just like, who the hell do you think you are a white boy, Like you're gonna talk to me like that?

Like you have no idea and I love that.

I'm like, I'm like, yell at me in Spanish.

I love a good I love a good slide in a DM too.

If there's one like celebrity person, who whose DM would you slide into?

H or have you slid into?

I know I can tell my face he's working on his resting bench face.

I I actually I don't slide a lot of dms.

Like I'm like, I just don't.

I have goals right now like I do have like six month goals.

I'm going to buy a house and I'm going to buy it, remodel it and all that.

So I'm like, look, all I'm focused on right now is making money.

My dms are open.

If somebody wants to slide.

Some Latina hears this and it's like, oh, I'm going to go for it.

Go for it, be my guest.

It's not that I'm not responding, but I'm just I'm not right now.

I'm just like, hey, I got six month goals to get buy the house, remodel it, buy the nice car, so I can kind of live the Scottsdale life, you know, and enjoy that part of my life.

And then on the other side of that, you know, ideally, but I'm like, look, if somebody walks in my life tomorrow, I'm not gonna be like, oh sorry, I got six month goals.

You're not a partner.

Sure, Let's usually when someone does walk around, you have the plans, right.

Yeah.

So have you have you said you're sories to anyone that might have needed a sorry from the shows?

Yeah?

Yeah, all of them.

Have they been received?

Well?

Yes?

Yeah?

I just like we can say just names, we can say names Rachel, like, I mean, because that was the most recent one, Like, ultimately, yeah, we're good.

We I talked her on the phone a couple of days ago.

She wasn't she wasn't too happy about something that I you know, just we're checking in with each other and like the podcast and the things we're saying, and it's like but ultimately, again the show didn't show it, but her and I both apologize to each other.

She apologized to me the next day.

They didn't show that I apologize to her, you know, so it was good.

It was kosher.

It was like, and I thought they'd show that.

I'm like, hey, I think everybody would love to like see what it would be like to have two exes be amicable and apologize, because like, I think everybody kind of wants that in their own life.

Nobody wants to like hate their X, so I thought they might show that.

It's like, hey, like too sure, people saying, here's why I was upset.

Last night, this is why we did what we did.

You know, they didn't show it, and I was like, Okay, I guess that wasn't really that important to you all, but it seemed important to me.

But yeah, I've apologized to everybody that I've hurt, you know.

I think the only issue right now is people expect me to take full accountability.

And I'm like, it takes two to tango.

I don't need to, Like, I don't know much how much more you want me to say, Like I'm one hundred percent at fault for this, and I don't believe it there's another party involved, like it's equally their fault, you know, like this this could have never This would have never happened had that person you know, not allowed it to.

So I'm like, I don't believe that I should take one hundred percent accountability.

That's a fifty to fifty like it could have in my opinion.

So that's just where I stand on it.

But I have people like he's not taking accountability.

I'm like, no, I'm not taking one hundred percent accountability.

Because Rachel made the decision to match with me, that's on her.

That's also on her.

So I'm like, that's at least fifty to fifty.

You know, she could have said no, and I said, you do, it's best for you.

So I'm like, I don't like, again, why are we throwing all the blame on me?

It's just simple to do.

But she also is a part of that conversation.

Do you do another show if they offer it?

Have they offered another show?

I shouldn't start it there.

Okay, would you do another show if they offer it?

Are you he'll get a free trip to one of those Hawaii places or you know, the Virgin Version cruises.

I'm open.

I would rather not do another dating show.

I would rather do like a game show, something.

Like something special Forces.

Yeah, that seems kind of tough.

I don't know.

I've already subjected myself to all two minutes ago.

You were a tough guy, say consistent.

I can do it.

No, I can do it.

I don't have anything to prove though.

I'm like, I've already like proved my toughness to myself when playing playing football, Like I don't need to try to prove everybody that I have this masculine energy, Like I don't like that just seems like a tough show.

I would do it.

That's the clip they're going to use when you do do Special Forces.

By the way, the last twenty seconds that you just said is going to be what they do in boot camp.

Yeah, yeah, no, I mean I could.

I think I believe I can survive it, but I would.

I want to do something like Traders that that sounds more fun to me, like to be able to like that kind of stuff.

But what I do a dating show?

Sure if the money's right always yeah.

I mean, listen, I get it, you know what I mean, Like we shoot the things I've said yes too for money?

Yeah, you know, like, well, let's clarify that that sounds were certain ads like you know that I wish I didn't do, you know, and then ask stuff movies.

I'm like, yeah, it pays the bells, you know, I get it.

Yeah, I mean, look, at the end of the day, like I'm trying to set myself up in my future.

Absolutely, what's your dream Clayton?

Like, what if you in this moment, the thirty two year old Clayton, the scorned reality TV non villain rectified?

What is your dream job?

Like?

What is something you've always wanted to do?

Speak on mental health?

I was doing that until I got hit with the paternity scandal.

Not that woman, in my eyes, took it away from me, which but it was also my doing.

Like I engaged with her intimately, you know, got me in a whole lot of trouble and like it unfortunately knocked out all my speaking engagements.

When I talked to like kids' seventh grade up about sixth grade, probably like sixth grade up to college, you know, and I talk about being authentic, and I talk about going through, you know, the emotional whirlwind of like growing up and not feeling good enough and struggling with authenticity and trying to fit in.

That's when I felt that I was most in my purpose.

It's wild to me that those would be canceled because of that, Yeah, because it seems to me like the idea behind mental health and we talk a lot about that here.

Very vulnerable about that is about being honest and about making mistakes and about being human.

So well, what happened was I was starting to speak, like two years ago.

I was starting to like pick up on engagements, like speak to schools around the country.

Things were heating up, and I had somebody sending out emails on my behalf.

But then I got hit with the scandal and it was guilty, t'll proven innocent.

So it was like, but it was just it was the scandal was and you can correct me if I'm wrong, it was not really a scandal.

It was that a woman came out and said that you had were the father of her twins.

Right, yeah, but you were not true?

Right but I but I had to prove that.

Yeah but what but that just makes you a human And this isn't me defending I'm not.

No, what happened was.

What happened was is I schools stopped responding back to all the emails, fell flat, and then a couple of them responded.

They were like, hey, we googled him, and like we can't bring him in because if parents they're going to google him too and be like, why are we bringing in some guy that's in the middle of the scandal, right, now.

I mean, I understand that school, like I do.

I just also it's not fair.

It's not fair, and it's also just you're being human.

Yeah again, like I but if you looked at the chatter online, I mean, people people had had a heyday with me.

They were like, this is the guy that we saw in the Batchelor's He's terrible to women, Like he's not supporting this woman as she has his children.

Like I had to get into a paternity test to prove to people and then post it on my my my reel, like I was an amar on Mari the TV show being like.

I'm not the father.

I mean, like I had to do that.

I didn't even want to post that.

I was like, this is embarrassing, but yeah, I had to post it because everyone believed that I was lying, and so I was like, great, because of my reality TV experience, people don't believe me.

They think I'm this person.

So I have to now go out of my way to prove to the court of public opinion that I'm actually different than what people who see me as.

And when I prove that I was, you know, I was like, I'm not the father again, nobody, No apologies.

By you know, by people online.

It was like majority of them were like, well we believe them all along.

It's like, no, you didn't go go read on all the forums.

You guys were tearing me to shreds, Like you all just can't admit fault yourself.

Look, there's a lot of hurt people out in the world, and like especially a lot of hurt people watch reality television.

I think they watch it because they want to see, you know, attractive people screw up.

So it's like they and they can you know, blame like see they suck.

And it's like just there's a lot of negative people.

Like reality television brings a lot of really negative audience.

It's some of the most hateful people that I've found are reality TV viewers.

So it's it is what it is.

You just realize, you're like, these people are upset, they're angry at the world, and they want to take it out on the person on their TV screen that they literally don't know.

I think it's beautiful though, that you like, where you feel the most authentic and happy is is in the mental health space and talking to kids because I think and I would love for you to you know, can obviously continue that because that is that seems so authentic to you know, to you and your purpose and why you have this platform, you know, and I if I was, you know, a kid, and even because honestly, if I'm listening to you right now, I'm like, I would have never thought that you would struggle with mental health.

Like you're a good looking dude and you've got you know, you sounds like you've a great family.

Like I would never think that anything was wrong.

You know that you that you struggle with that, but that's just you know, never judge by the cover.

Well that's the thing.

I mean, like I've posted my social media, but people don't realize like I was not the superstar athlete growing up I was.

I didn't play varsities in my senior year.

My brother started varsity two years younger than me before I even did.

I had no scholarship offers.

I was bullied.

I was extremely tiny.

I was like in seventh grade, I was five six, one hundred and five pounds.

Like, I mean, I was a small kid.

I was bullied.

So when people like when I show up, I can see it in these kids' face, and you know it's like I show up and I have my little power point, you know, and I post I show a photo of me in seventh grade, and these kids their minds are blown.

They're like, that's not you.

There's no way.

It's this little, you know, short little kid with bleach blonde hair, you know, and he and he's and it's like you can tell it.

And stills hope in these kids because they see this big old football guy, six five, big dude, and they're like, well, if he can change his life that much, so can I.

And it gives them hope.

I feel like my story, I'm like, I look, I resonate with these children, and that's why I'm like, you know, I'm like, I want to get back into it.

Unfortunately, though, there's roadblocks I face, you know, Schools are like, oh, well, you're not an expert, you shouldn't be talking about mental health.

I'm like, that's ridiculous.

Like bringing up expert in with me, then, like, let me talk alongside them.

I'm just sharing my experience.

But you know, it's it's it's definitely where I'm most passionate.

And and I think again, people look at me and they say, this is the guy that's always had it, This is the guy that's you know, that's always been the stud athlete that's gotten all the women.

I was friend zone growing up.

I was called big Brother.

That was my nickname by all the girls.

I don't have game.

You could probably see it on the TV screen, Like I'm not.

I'm not smister smooth talker.

And I know that I'm just kind of a goof.

And but like people look at me like, oh, he's had all these things.

I'm like, no, I worked for them all, like, and I have physical proof.

I can show you old photos of me.

I can show you text messages.

People girls call me big brother, like you all want to believe that I was given everything.

I wasn't.

I worked for everything in my life.

That's why I'm also so adamant about like standing my ground now and sticking it back to those people where they're like, I'm like, no, I'm not gonna take credit for this.

I'm gonna I'm gonna be like, I'm gonna be fully authentic and this is gonna be really like you're gonna this, You're gonna hate this.

You want me to roll over, I'm gonna throw it in your face now and be like this is not my problem.

It's your problem.

And this is the reason, this is the reason why you.

Don't even need to say that now you know.

It.

You just live life.

Yeah, you just live life.

And that's what I'm doing.

I'm like, you all want to see me lose.

I'm winning.

I'm winning big time.

Like, if you wanted to see me fail, you your best chance was three years ago.

You guys almost got me to quit.

You guys almost got me to throw in the white flag and and log off forever, you know, and basically move off with my life and just be away from reality television.

They almost did.

I'm like, if you missed your opportunity, you guys just created a monster, and a good one in my eyes.

And I'm like, you'll never watch me fail.

I continue to win even in light of this whole like reality TV stuff.

Right now, I'm amped.

Right now, I'm feel the edge.

Your friends again, It's like, look like.

People, that's what this has been a great experience right now because online right now go on my dms or my comments or seeing everyone rip me to shreds.

I've literally not won more in my life than I'm winning right now.

In work.

I am making I'm killing it.

Right now with my work, and I'm just like I'm looking at it and I'm like, I wait up.

I'm like, I have all this bullshit online, but I'm winning in life more than I ever have.

I'm like, I'm like, I don't care.

You want to make me the villain, Make me the villain?

Next show that cast me, cast me as the villain, Like I will lean into it.

I don't care because the people that know me will will know that I'm not that, and they'll be like, all, Clayton's going back on TV to, you know, just to chase some chaos and play a role, and like that's it.

So I'm like, look, y'all can think like you want to see me lose.

I'm going to let y'all know how much I'm winning now.

I'm a really well yeah, there you go, Clayton play and there we go, and let's just not let's just not any more dates with Rachel.

You want a hand in on three with that closure on that?

Okay, just a couple of things.

We would love you know from you, no more, Rachel.

We love you living in your purpose, We want you talking to children.

We love you being honest.

Don't let the noise, get you and I'm excited for you.

Team Clayton.

Here we go.

You've just yeah, I'm rooting for you, truly.

You guys, thank you.

If you ever need some big sisters, we're here for you.

You can slide in and friendly you know, three years ago, way back in the day for me.

But you're mega villain now and we love you now.

So that's exciting.

Okay, I'll take it.

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

You can't be mean to them like I don't know.

I have a high allergy against your gender, so it's still easy for me.

But I want a high allergy against tight ends.

You know, you change my mind a different Clayton.

You are your joy, So keep doing your thing and I'll be praying that the speaking and stuff comes around for me.

Truly are proud of you, Clayton, but we do need you to stay away from Rachel.

Love me so much.

Thank you.

Guys are all right bye?

So yeah, oh I love them, Clayton.

It's it is hard when you get to see the people.

I'm actually glad that stuff before we talked wasn't in.

I could let viewers in, our listeners in them.

I mean, you have a perception of what somebody is.

Yeah, and then you talk to them and you're like, darn it, yeah, we'll see it just as people have perceptions of me.

And then when you get to yeah, even my husband, you know, he's been in this business twenty five years, right, Yeah, and we go through this a lot, because twenty five years ago it was party town.

He's like, I'm not a partier.

Yeah, like I'm a dad now and a husband.

Well, something even happened on set very similar to this, but one of the past.

The very last day of shooting.

She was like, I'm going to be honest.

She's like, not that I've ever heard anything bad.

She goes, but I followed you for years, but not in the positive way.

Oh wow.

Yeah, And I'm just so really honest of her.

Yeah.

And she goes and she's like I even read lit the things and the forums and stuff.

She goes, you are anything, but she's like you are.

She just had this.

I like started crying and gave her a hug.

And she's in a position where I she's you know, the pa where it could be most times.

You see.

She's like, I've had so many actors and actress that I love that I don't like anymore because they write rude and they're not nice and they're like and she's like, I mean, I was like, thank you, Well, that's true.

Though I've told you you're not very artisty.

Yeah, I mean I've always said that about you.

But that's how we became friends.

It was nice because again she sees, she thinks and sees and sees all the things, and then when you actually meet the person sometimes their opinions can be changed.

Reality TV is so tricky too.

Anyways, I enjoyed him and I root for him and too now that I know he likes Latina's like Rachel is not.

She's like the farst so beautiful, but like not she's blonde, and he just needs someone that will that can keep him in line a little.

And I don't mean that in a way that's like derogatory.

I don't want that to get twisted.

I just I felt that even for myself.

When I met Preston, I was like, oh, there's some things that I've always done that I will no longer get away with.

Yeah, and that is refreshing and it feels teammate like, and it makes you be a better person and a better partner.

Amen to that.

Stay tuned for our next guest.

I don't know who