The Abuse Allegations Against The Bachelorette Winner Devin Strader, Explained

What happened next? According to an alleged affidavit shared by Reality Steve, Strader was accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment, stealing a necklace he’d bought for her while they were still dating, and setting fire to her restraining order outside the apartment.

The officer that responded to the call noted “there was a jewelry box that had been gone through, a broken bottle of perfume, a makeup tray was dumped out,” per the affidavit, reportedly written by Baton Rouge Police Department officer Reese Jenkins. The document continued, “A diamond necklace was stolen during the burglary. The necklace that was taken had been one that the defendant had bought when they were still dating.”

Reality Steve also showed another document allegedly filed by the ex-girlfriend, in which she claimed Strader violated the restraining order on multiple occasions. According to his report, Strader pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a $100 fine, court fees, do community service and abide by the restraining order, while remaining “arrest and conviction free.” You can watch Reality Steve’s entire video here.

Devin Strader’s response:

The Bachelorette contestant denied the accusations in a statement to THR, which he also posted on Instagram Stories.

“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,” he wrote before reiterating praise for Jenn Tran and apologizing for posting a video with their text messages, which he described as a “lapse in judgement.” As for the alleged restraining order, this is what he had to say:

“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.”

He concluded his message, “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.”

Any other responses?

A source close to the show tells THR: “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.”

Based on THR’s reporting, Strader’s affidavit of a burglary arrest was publicly available while the Bachelorette producers were conducting their vetting process; the details of the alleged restraining order were, at the time, sealed.

This post may be updated.