We’re a few weeks into Clayton Echard’s season of “The Bachelor” and now he’s stopping by the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast to open up about his experience.

While Clayton said he’s extremely grateful for this opportunity and his journey as the Bachelor, the hate he’s been facing online has been tough for him and his family.

The Bachelor said, “At first, it was kind of quiet and I was able to respond to people as much as I could and I am very appreciative of the whole opportunity. So I wanted to be able to let people know that I’m thankful they are reaching out. It means a lot. But then the first episode aired and it opened the floodgates.”

He continued on, saying, “At that point, I started to get overwhelmed, and I’d be lying if I said it was all sunshine and roses. I have definitely fallen victim to reading everything, despite everyone telling me to stop reading the comments. My thought was that if I know what’s out there, there’s no surprises.”

Clayton told co-hosts Becca Kufrin and Serena Pitt that when he watches the show, he sees the comments, but he’s also seeing a lot of this for the first time himself.

He shared that he didn’t see a lot of what went on between the women, and if he had, “I know I would’ve responded to it.”

The Bachelor Nation star explained, “People have to understand I didn’t see everything, and I’m actually now watching a lot of this for the first time with everyone else. A lot of what I’m seeing is news to me, and it’s challenging because I see people coming after my character, saying I have terrible judgment.”

He continued, “My answer to that is, ‘Do you see me in that part of the episode? When the drama is happening, am I there? If the answer is no, I didn’t know about it.’ I was left in the dark. I only knew what the women brought to me. I just got bits and pieces through the conversations I had.”

Serena agreed, saying that there is only one of Clayton and many women, so if he isn’t seen onscreen, he “likely isn’t privy to what’s happening.”

But as the hate comments and trolls continue to roll into his posts, Clayton said the negativity is affecting more than just him.

The Bachelor candidly shared, “My mom is so excited for me for this experience, but the sad part about it is that she’s taking a lot of the criticism worse than I am. My mom is really, really struggling with it, and I tell her to get off social media and she can’t do it either. It’s driving her absolutely wild. So if anyone listens to this and thinks about typing a negative comment, realize that it’s not just me you’re affecting, it’s my loved ones. You’re affecting my mom.”

He added, “The show can only show so much. They film a lot, but what actually makes it on air is only like 1 percent of what happened.”

Clayton also shared an experience he had with his brother where his brother texted him asking him why he was doing a lot more kissing than talking.

Clayton said, “When a loved one texted me and called me out on that, it hit me really hard. People have to understand that your words do affect me. I will put a smile on and I try to start every day brand-new, but it’s not just your one comment. You think it’s one comment, but I’m reading your comment and the 10,000 other comments. They all pile on, and it can be a lot. It can really affect someone’s mental health — not only mine, but also my mom’s.”

And he added that while the experience has been “phenomenal” and “so exciting,” he’s now seeing that the hardest part is the aftermath.

To hear more of Clayton’s honest conversation on the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast, check out the full episode below.