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Clay Carlin   Gallery    
Clay Carlin
Clay 01
Biographical information

Name

Clay Carlin

Gender

Man

Orientation

Heterosexual

Died

2006

Father

Arthur Carlin (adoptive father)

Mother

Cecily Jordan (birth mother)
Paula Carlin (adoptive mother)

Sibling(s)

Glen Carlin (adoptive brother)
Spencer Carlin (adoptive sister)

Children

Unborn daughter (miscarriage)

Significant other(s)

Chelsea Lewis

Behind the scenes

First appearance

Secret Truths

Last appearance

Trouble in Paradise (technically)
The Valley of Shadows (flashbacks)
Five Years Later (mentioned)

Portrayed By

Danso Gordon

Clay Carlin is one of the main characters of South of Nowhere. He was the adoptive son of the Carlin family. He was a straight-A student who obsessed over his grades and acted as a moral compass. Through much of the first year at King, Clay was on track for college and a successful life. When his girlfriend Chelsea revealed she was pregnant, his life became more hectic.

He was there to support Chelsea no matter what, and when Spencer came out as gay, Clay stood by her from step one. He was best friends with his polar opposite Sean Miller, who showed him "the ropes" of Los Angeles life. Clay seemed to have a grip on his out-of-control life when he was gunned down in a drive-by shooting at the King High prom at the end of season two.

Background

He was eight when the Carlin family adopted him. After moving to Los Angeles, Clay was forced to deal with many issues concerning race and discrimination. He befriended Sean Miller and began dating Chelsea Lewis. Clay also searched out his biological mother, Cecily Jordan, who reveals that she initially gave Clay up because she wanted him to have a better life than what she could give him. After a rocky start, Cecily moves to L.A. to be closer to Clay and be in his life. They slowly started to repair their relationship.

In season 2, Clay lost his virginity to Chelsea and it was later revealed that Chelsea was pregnant. He was initially shocked when Chelsea decides that she may not want the baby, and did not know what to do when she became distant with him. Clay came to the conclusion that he loved Chelsea and would support her and her decision about the pregnancy no matter what it was. He, along with Chelsea, also realized Spencer's true feelings for Ashley before Spencer came out. Unlike Glen, he was extremely supportive and accepting of his sister's sexual orientation the entire time.

In the season 3 premiere, it was revealed that Clay died from his wounds as a result of the drive-by shooting on prom night. A memorial at King High was made to him and the other victims of the shooting, as well as a fictional MTV True Life documentary.

Clay's last appearance was through flashbacks in "The Valley of Shadows," but he is mentioned in every episode afterward, including the series finale "On the Precipice." He is also mentioned in "Five Years Later," where Spencer and Ashley decide to name their child Clay in his memory.

Relationships

Sean Miller

Clay and Sean at King High

Clay and Sean

Sean was Clay's best friend. When Clay moved out to Los Angeles and struggled to find his identity, Sean showed him how to be true to his race while being equally honest to his mind and heart. Unbeknownst to Clay, Sean had a long-standing crush on Chelsea since his childhood, but he knew that Clay and Chelsea had true love and wanted them to be together.

Chelsea Lewis

Chelsea was his first and only girlfriend. He lost his virginity to her and got her pregnant.

Spencer Carlin

Clay was close and supportive of his adoptive sister, and he stood by her as soon as he heard that she was gay. He and Chelsea were the first two people to find out. Clay made sure that Spencer felt loved and supported, even if her biological mother Paula was completely homophobic at first.

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