“I WAS JUST A GIRL THAT MET A GUY” — PATRICK CLANCY’S NEW WIFE DEFENDS THEIR ROMANCE AND CALLS HIM “THE MOST SELFLESS FATHER”

Patrick Clancy’s new wife, Dr. Rachel Danis, is speaking publicly for the first time about their relationship — and pushing back against the intense speculation that has surrounded the grieving father since the deaths of his three young children.

Danis, a fertility specialist who married Patrick in April 2026, described her husband as “the most selfless father and supportive partner” during a preview of their upcoming joint interview with 60 Minutes.

“I don’t understand how the story has been so twisted,” Danis said.

She also addressed criticism and speculation surrounding the couple’s romance, saying their relationship began after an unexpected meeting in New York.

“I was just a girl that met a guy running in Central Park on a really cold Saturday,” she said. “And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

The full interview is scheduled to air Sunday, Sept. 20, on CBS.

A NEW LIFE AFTER AN UNIMAGINABLE LOSS

Patrick became a widower-like figure in the public eye after the January 2023 tragedy that claimed the lives of his three children with Lindsay Clancy: Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months.

On Jan. 24, 2023, Patrick returned to the family’s Duxbury, Massachusetts, home after running an errand and discovered Lindsay outside the house with serious injuries.

He then found the children in the basement and called for emergency help.

Lindsay was later charged with three counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors alleged she killed the children before attempting to take her own life.

Her defense argued that she was suffering from severe mental illness and postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible for her actions.

After weeks of testimony this summer, the case ended in a mistrial on Sept. 4, 2026, after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will seek another trial.

HOW PATRICK AND RACHEL MET

Following the deaths of his children, Patrick eventually moved to New York City.

He later met Danis, a fertility specialist, and the two began a relationship. Their marriage in April 2026 became public during Lindsay’s trial after Patrick’s new marriage was referenced in court.

Their relationship quickly became the subject of intense online discussion, particularly because it unfolded while Lindsay’s case was still moving through the courts.

But Danis says the reality was much simpler.

She described herself as someone who happened to meet Patrick while he was running in Central Park and rejected the idea that there was something improper about their relationship.

“THE MOST SELFLESS FATHER”

Danis also used the interview to defend Patrick’s character.

She described him as a deeply devoted father who continues to carry the memory of his children with him.

“I would hope people know that Pat is, as I said before, the most selfless father and supportive partner,” she said.

Patrick has previously spoken publicly about his children and his efforts to preserve their memory.

He and his two sisters also co-founded the Heard Foundation in 2024, an organization focused on improving perinatal mental health care following the family’s devastating experience.

CONSPIRACY THEORIES SURROUNDING PATRICK

The intense attention surrounding the Clancy case also led to conspiracy theories online accusing Patrick of involvement in the deaths of his children.

Patrick’s attorney, Howard Cooper, strongly rejected those claims in a statement to PEOPLE, describing them as a misinformation campaign and saying the family had been subjected to damaging accusations.

There has been no public finding establishing that Patrick was involved in the deaths.

During Lindsay’s trial, Patrick testified extensively about what happened on the day his children died and about his former wife’s mental-health struggles. CBS News reported that his testimony included the moment he returned home, discovered the scene and attempted to help his children before emergency responders arrived.

PATRICK SPEAKS AGAIN

The upcoming 60 Minutes interview will mark Patrick’s first major public interview since Lindsay’s trial ended in a mistrial.

In the preview, he and Danis discuss grief, their relationship and the enormous public attention that has followed their lives.

Patrick also speaks about how he continues to remember Cora, Dawson and Callan.

According to CBS, he said he still talks to his children “all the time.”

For Patrick and Danis, the interview appears to be an effort to tell their side of a story that has been shaped heavily by a highly publicized criminal case and years of online speculation.

For now, Lindsay Clancy’s legal future remains unresolved, with prosecutors yet to announce whether they will pursue a retrial.

But Patrick says the children remain at the center of his life — even as he tries to build a future after an unimaginable loss.