Katie Campione
The Bachelorette Season 21 contestant Devin Strader has spoken out following reports about a prior arrest and restraining order related to an ex-girlfriend.
In a statement on Thursday, Strader said that the situations stemmed from “a low point” in his past, arguing that the reports about it have been “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,” the statement said. “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.”
The statement 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.”
Earlier this week, it came to light that Strader was arrested for burglarizing an ex-girlfriend’s Louisiana home in 2017. In addition to his arrest, documents from the Baton Rouge Police Department state that Strader’s ex had a restraining order at the time.
A source close to production told Deadline that “this protective order did not surface in our searches,” but the revelation has still called into question the franchise’s vetting process as this is not the first time a contestant with a criminal history has been cast on The Bachelorette.
Strader was the last man standing at the end of Season 21, accepting a proposal from Jenn Tran, but he broke up with her shortly after. Also in his statement, he addressed a video he posted on social media following the After the Final Rose segment in which the news of their split was shared publicly.
In response to some backlash from audiences, Strader had posted the video, including screenshots of text messages from Tran, to defend himself. He apologized for the video in his Thursday statement, adding: “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.”