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The winner of the latest season of The Bachelorette, Devin Strader, has hit back at recent reports about his 2017 arrest and alleged restraining order.
The 28-year-old, who was briefly engaged to the ABC dating show’s lead Jenn Tran, was first exposed by a well-known fan of The Bachelor franchise RealitySteve in a YouTube livestream when he showed an affidavit of Strader’s past arrest warrant for one felony count of “simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling.”
An unnamed ex-girlfriend of Strader alleged that while she was out of town, her home was burglarized and a diamond necklace that Strader had gifted her had been stolen.
She also alleged that Strader had come to her Louisiana house several times, pounding on the door and yelling at her, which led her to file a restraining order against him on March 22, 2017.
The reality contestant posted a statement on his Instagram story on Thursday, September 19, to address these reports. “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,” his statement began.
The first section of the statement addressed a 13-minute video he had posted on Instagram shortly after the season 21 finale where he posted screenshots of text messages with Tran in an attempt to give his version of their breakup. The post has since been deleted.
During the episode itself, Tran revealed that Strader ended their relationship over the phone. “He had basically said that he didn’t love me anymore and didn’t feel the same way and felt like something had been off since the second he proposed, and regretted getting engaged,” she said.
“I want to apologize for the video I released following the final episode. I am not proud of that lapse in judgment,” he wrote. “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 then spoke about the restraining order and arrest warrant, explaining that they happened during “a low point in my past” and were “severely misconstrued.”
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“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,” his statement continued. “That restraining order was never granted, and fully dismissed.”
Strader wrote that he and his ex-girlfriend resolved their issues and ended their relationship “on good terms.”
“This was the first time I ever fell in love and I learned a lot from our relationship,” he added. “It was a growing experience for both of us.”
The statement ended as he gave his thanks to anyone who showed their support for him.
“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.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, details from the restraining order were sealed when the show’s producers were conducting background checks on the contestants.
A source close to the show told EW earlier this week: “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.”
