‘The Bachelorette’ Winner Devin Strader Speaks Out on Previous Arrest and Restraining Order, Says Accusations Are “Simply Not True”

ABC’s ‘The Bachelorette’ star Devin Strader. Disney/Ricky Middlesworth

Devin Strader, who won the final rose and was briefly engaged to The Bachelorette lead Jenn Tran is speaking out on his previous arrest and restraining order filed against him seven years ago.

In 2017, Strader was arrested on accusations that he burglarized an ex-girlfriend’s home in Louisiana. RealitySteve, which reports on spoilers and news on the Bachelor franchise, was first to report the news, publishing an affidavit reportedly from Strader’s arrest warrant.

The ex-girlfriend also noted other past incidents in the now-unsealed petition, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. She alleged that Strader once “put me in a choke hold covering my mouth” and “spit on me and threw his drink on me at [a] Pelicans game in front of everyone in the stands.” And after she awoke to bruises on her “knees, elbow, stomach, arms” and a “pounding” head, she claims he said he almost “killed” her and didn’t “want to talk about it.”

She filed a restraining order and noted that in addition to the “physical abuse,” she alleged Strader “verbally and mentally abused” her. “He has degraded me and taken everything from me. My self confidence, self-esteem, and I hope no other girl ever has to go through what I went through.”

However, in a statement sent to THR and shared on Strader’s social media, the Bachelorette winner stated that the accusations are “simply not true.”

“Most recently, there have been challenges from a low point in my past that have been brought up and severely misconstrued. 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,” Strader said. “That restraining order was never granted, and fully dismissed. My college ex-girlfriend and I ended up reconciling and eventually ended our relationship on good terms. This was the first time I ever fell in love and I learned a lot from our relationship. It was a growing experience for both of us.”

During the Sept. 3 season finale of The Bachelorette, Tran proposed to Strader. However, the season ended in heartbreak when Tran revealed during the After the Final Rose special, that he called off their engagement through a phone call. Strader recently shared a 13-minute video on Instagram in which he revealed private text messages between him and Tran as a means to defend himself and the relationship timeline presented during the finale. The video has since been deleted.

In his statement, Strader also addressed the video he shared of his messages between he and Tran, apologizing for the “lapse in judgment.”

“Following my time on The Bachelorette, there have been many stories and misrepresentations put out in the media that I want to take a moment to address. I want to apologize for the video I released following the final episode. I am not proud of that lapse in judgment. I am truly grateful for my time on the show and for getting the chance to know and love Jenn. I certainly regret hurting her in any way. She is a very special person, and I wish her nothing but good things.”

He continued, “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.”

News of Strader’s background re-ups questions surrounding ABC‘s vetting process for the show’s cast, given this is not the first time a casting controversy has clouded a season. What was public during Strader’s vetting process was the affidavit of a burglary arrest. The details in the restraining order, however, were sealed when Bachelorette producers were conducting their background checks, a production source tells THR. Strader would have presumably been asked about the sealed details; it’s not known when the details became unsealed or what Strader told producers at the time.

“We take the safety of our contestants very seriously and make every effort to conduct thorough diligence,” a source close to the show tells THR. “As exhaustive as our vetting process is, this protective order did not surface in our searches.”

Read Strader’s full statement below.

Following my time on The Bachelorette, there have been many stories and misrepresentations put out in the media that I want to take a moment to address. I want to apologize for the video I released following the final episode. I am not proud of that lapse in judgment. I am truly grateful for my time on the show and for getting the chance to know and love Jenn. I certainly regret hurting her in any way. She is a very special person, and I wish her nothing but good things. 

Most recently, there have been challenges from a low point in my past that have been brought up and severely misconstrued. 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. That restraining order was never granted and fully dismissed. My college ex-girlfriend and I ended up reconciling and eventually ended our relationship on good terms. This was the first time I ever fell in love and I learned a lot from our relationship. It was a growing experience for both of us.  

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.” 

Jackie Strause contributed to this story.

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