Bachelorette Star Devin A 'Dangerous Individual,' Former Friend Says

A former friend of Bachelorette villain Devin Strader has spoken out about his past behavior, raising questions about whether he will ever fade from the public eye.

As we've reported previously, Devin was Jenn Tran's final choice during the finale of The Bachelorette, but in a shocking twist, the now-former couple's connection had rapidly fizzled out, leaving Jenn heartbroken.

Devin's abrupt shift from boyfriend to bad guy in the finale's final hour made him not just a reality TV villain — he was called the "most hated man in America." (Deserved.)

Editor's note: This article contains mentions of domestic violence, or may be otherwise triggering to survivors. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please visit thehotline.org to connect with confidential help. Assistance is available 24/7/365.

Within 48 hours, Bachelorette fans had begun to revisit Devin's behavior on the show, spotting several clues that his persona on-screen was not reflective of his true personality.

More than a week after Jenn "won the breakup" on national television, Devin decided that the best way to ameliorate the perception of him as a bad boyfriend was to record an extensive Instagram Reel exposing what looked like all of his private texts to and from Jenn.

Jenn later said she felt violated – who wouldn't? – and Devin deleted the Reel under extensive public pressure, but the damage was done, and screenshots of their texts were captured.

Remarkably, things managed to get a lot worse from there.

The Bachelorette stars Jenn Tran and Devin Strander

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Devin Issued A Statement About His Past, And An Ex-Friend Countered It

Devin Homophobic Slurs — Bachelorette contestant Devin Strader

After Devin's widely hated Reel doxxing Jenn circulated, it looked like he hit rock bottom in terms of public image.

Then this week, blogger Reality Steve obtained bombshell documents suggesting Devin never ought to have made it through The Bachelorette's screening process in the first place.

On September 18, we reported that Reality Steve unearthed records indicating Devin was the subject of a restraining order in 2017, and that he was arrested that same year.

Fans were so enraged at producers after the finale that they clamored for the entire Bachelor franchise to be canceled, and when news of Devin's past emerged, they became incandescent with anger.

Several posited that Jenn Tran was placed in avoidable danger due to poor vetting of Devin (and other contestants).

Predictably, Devin waded in immediately, issuing an Instagram Story "statement" and vaguely denying Reality Steve's claims.

Devin framed it as a "he said, she said" issue, while remaining light on specific objections about the contents of the records — which in turn led to a former friend contesting Devin's Instagram statement.

On September 20, Reality Steve came back with additional receipts, namely a counter-statement by an unnamed individual purporting to be a former friend of Devin's, as well as a friend of the woman who had petitioned for a restraining order.

Steve tweeted that the statement originated with "Devin’s ex’s friend [to whom] Devin messaged homophobic slurs" on Instagram, and attached a screenshot of the friend's September 19 Instagram post:

Bachelorette Devin homophobic slurs — Screenshot of a post attributed to a former friend of Devin Strader

It began by reiterating the existence of the restraining order, and the ex-friend described Devin's decision to go on The Bachelorette as "bizarre":

"In the spring of 2017, Devin Strader was issued a temporary restraining order following multiple instances of abuse against my friend.

"This year, he made the bizarre decision to appear on The Bachelorette, despite his well-documented history of violence. After his troubling on-screen behavior, the public uncovered his arrest record, including the restraining order."

It continued, and the ex-friend expressed frustration that Devin denied the allegations.

Moreover, the poster alleged that Devin had DMed them "homophobic slurs" on Instagram, and recalled:

"[On September 18], Devin attempted to discredit his ex-girlfriend and denied the existence of the restraining order, despite clear public records to the contrary. I refuse to stand by as he continues to malign someone I care about, especially after the pain he caused 7 years ago.

"In April 2017, while repeatedly violating the restraining order, Devin made threats against his ex girlfriend's friends and family. I received disturbing messages from him, filled with homophobic slurs and threats of violence.

"His recent attempt to manipulate the narrative is exactly what he did in 2017, while stalking his ex-girlfriend, burglarizing her home, burning the restraining order in her yard, slashing her tire, and intimidating her friends and family."

On Reddit's r/thebachelor, one user echoed the sentiments, advising others to stay away from people who exhibit similar behavior:

"I've said it on other threads and I’ll say it again. Men like Devin are dangerous, manipulative, and will never change.

"If you get involved with someone like this they will ruin your life."

As the friend's statement concluded, they added that Devin's former girlfriend was forced to "revisit a traumatic" part of her life without her consent:

"Devin's decision to go on national television has forced his victim to revisit a traumatic chapter of her life in a public forum. I will not allow his arrogance and refusal to take responsibility [to] inflict further harm on someone I care about. Devin is a dangerous individual, and a pathological liar."

Under Steve's tweet, a Twitter/X user castigated the network for casting Devin:

"This is absolutely horrifying. Shame on ABC for letting someone like this on their airwaves. My heart breaks for his ex having to deal with this trauma."

Devin has yet to acknowledge the friend's statement, and comments on all his Instagram posts remain locked.