Reality TV
Devin From The Bachelorette Reacts To Reporting On A 2017 Restraining Order
The Bachelorette winner was accused of burglarizing his ex’s home.
Trigger Warning: This piece contains mentions of domestic violence.
A week after apologizing for leaking personal texts from his Bachelorette ex, Jenn Tran, Devin Strader is addressing another controversy. In a Sept. 16 YouTube live stream, Reality Steve shared disturbing details about Devin’s criminal history, and Entertainment Weekly validated his reporting the following day.
According to the outlet, in 2017, Devin was arrested on burglary charges in Louisiana, where he lived at the time. His ex-girlfriend alleged that he had broken into her home, and after she filed a restraining order against him, he burned “what appeared to be the actual restraining order” in the street.
The affidavit also noted that the ex’s vehicle tire had been flattened, and Devin, who lived nearby, allegedly “came outside and began laughing at her” as the tire was being changed.
Devin pleaded guilty to criminal trespass and simple criminal damage to property of less than $500.
Entertainment Weekly obtained the ex’s petition for protection from abuse, which included distressing claims, such as Devin allegedly spitting and throwing a drink on her at a basketball game, and a time he allegedly “put [her] in a chokehold covering [her] mouth.”
Devin Denies The Claims
Devin responded to the claims in a Sept. 19 post to his Instagram story. “Most recently, there have been challenges from a low point in my past that have been brought up and severely misconstrued,” he wrote. “The accusations are simply not true as I have never inappropriately laid hands on another individual or treated my ex-girlfriend in any of the ways I have been depicted.”
Devin also claimed that “the restraining order was never granted, and fully dismissed.” However, Entertainment Weekly fact-checked the claim that an order was never granted in a follow-up report, confirming that two orders were issued — a temporary one and an extension.
Ultimately, “Strader’s ex did later dismiss the protective order, without prejudice,” the outlet said, adding that “both parties agreed to a Title 3601 stay away order.”
Later in his post, Devin said that he and the ex-girlfriend in question “ended up reconciling, and eventually ended [their] relationship on good terms.”
“I know that I have made mistakes in my life and that I am not perfect, but I have continued to work every day to be someone that my family and friends would be proud of, and I am truly thankful to everyone who has been by my side,” he said.
Has Bachelor Nation Responded?
So far, the Bachelor franchise has not issued an official response to Devin’s resurfaced record — or explained how he was able to appear on the show. According to the official Bachelor Nation casting eligibility page, “Applicants must never have been convicted of a felony or ever had a restraining order entered against them.”
However, Entertainment Weekly and other outlets have cited a source close to production, who stated, “We take the safety of our contestants very seriously and make every effort to conduct thorough diligence. As exhaustive as our vetting process is, this protective order did not surface in our searches.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org.
