Clare Crawley Hits Back

Clare Crawley is making it clear that questions about whether she plans to expand her family are no longer welcome.

The former Bachelorette, 45, addressed the issue through her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, May 6, after receiving a message asking whether she wanted to give her daughter Rowan, 2, the gift of a sibling as she grows up. Crawley said her inbox has been filled with similar comments and called the remarks insensitive, particularly given that she has been open about going through IVF.

Crawley and her husband, Ryan Dawkins, welcomed Rowan via surrogate in January 2024. Dawkins is also the father of two daughters from a previous relationship, making Rowan part of a blended family that Crawley has repeatedly embraced publicly.

“It’s not up to anyone but Ryan and I,” Crawley wrote, stressing that she does not intend to keep explaining why she has one daughter or why she may not have more children.

Her response also pointed to the emotional complexity behind fertility, surrogacy and family planning, subjects that have become increasingly visible across entertainment and reality television. For Crawley, whose personal life has been followed closely since her time in the Mike Fleiss-created Bachelor franchise, the scrutiny has often extended far beyond the show itself. Her Chris Harrison-hosted season of The Bachelorette, including her highly publicized relationship with Dale Moss, made her private decisions a regular topic of fan debate, a dynamic that has continued into her marriage and motherhood.

Crawley and Dawkins began dating in late 2021 and became engaged the following year. They married in February 2023, one year before Rowan’s arrival. Ahead of Rowan’s birth, Crawley also spoke warmly about the bond she had formed with her gestational carrier, describing the relationship as unusually close and deeply meaningful.

Crawley has also spoken warmly about Dawkins’ two older daughters, a family dynamic she referenced while pushing back on questions about Rowan needing siblings.

The comments come after Crawley shut down pregnancy speculation in February, when fans misread a photo of Dawkins holding her stomach.

Her latest response sets a clear boundary around a deeply personal subject following IVF, surrogacy and Rowan’s arrival.