Devin Strader is addressing those bombshell restraining order details!
Fans will recall the 28-year-old entrepreneur got engaged to Jenn Tran during the finale of Season 21 of The Bachelorette earlier this month. However, these two did not get their happy ending — far from it. On After the Final Rose, she revealed they broke up over the phone shortly after filming ended. Ugh! He could not even do the decent thing and end things with his fiancé in person! And what’s more? He followed Maria Georgas, who turned down the opportunity to lead the show for Season 21, immediately after the breakup. Jeez!
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Since then, Devin faced a lot of backlash for his behavior toward Jenn. He tried to defend himself and and say Jenn lied about how their split happened in a since-deleted video on Instagram, even releasing private text messages between them. But the scandal reached a whole new level this week when his disturbing arrest and abuse history was exposed! It all started when Reality Steve revealed Devin was arrested for one felony count of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling seven years ago. The guy apparently broke into the home of his ex-girlfriend!
A Baton Rouge Police Department affidavit stated she returned home to find her place was ransacked, with several items damaged and a diamond necklace Devin, who lived two doors down, gifted her missing. The ex ended up filing a restraining order against him — where she accused him of verbal and “physical abuse.” Per The Hollywood Reporter, she claimed he “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.” WTF. Once, she allegedly woke up with bruises on her “knees, elbow, stomach, and arms” and a “pounding” headache, and Devin almost “killed” her.
So scary…
Devin violated the restraining order “numerous times,” even calling her “multiple times during the day” to scream at her in April of this year. He was arrested for a DWI that same month. Ultimately, Devin got a slap on the wrist despite everything and received one year of unsupervised probation. He also was ordered to complete online classes, remain drug-free, and have no contact with his ex-girlfriend.
We are SO glad Jenn is far away from this guy now! What a horrifying situation! Now, following the bombshell reveal, Devin is addressing the controversy. And just like before, he is trying to say that the woman lied. The television personality first touched on how poorly he handled the breakup with Jenn, writing in a lengthy statement on Instagram Stories on Thursday:
“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 judgement. 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.”
Yeah, right. If you loved her, you would not have broken up with her on the phone or connect with another girl right afterward. Devin then addressed the “low point” in his past — AKA the restraining order debacle — insisting the allegations are “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.”
Hmm…
And that is just the start. He then claimed the restraining order was “never granted”:
“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.”
Not all of that is true, though! According to People, a judge granted a temporary restraining order against Devin in March 2017. That was extended by one month to April 2017. A permanent restraining order was not granted, only because his ex-girlfriend dismissed the request. So, yes, a restraining order was granted temporarily at one point. If you’re going to defend yourself, at least try to have the details of the situation straight… 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.”
See the post (below):
No matter what Devin says, he cemented himself as the Bachelor Nation villain — permanently — at this point. Oof.
Reactions to the statement, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF (below).
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, or go to https://www.thehotline.org/
[Image via Bachelor Nation/YouTube]
