Originally appeared on E! Online
Devin Strader is speaking out after sordid allegations emerged from his past.
"The Bachelorette" alum, who recently ended his engagement to season 21 lead Jenn Tran, broke his silence on his reported 2017 arrest and restraining order from an unnamed ex-girlfriend.
"There have been many stories and misrepresentations put out in the media that I want to take a moment to address," his Sept. 19 Instagram Story statement said. "There have been challenges from a low point in my past that have been brought up and severely misconstrued."
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Strader claimed, "The accusations are simply not true."
Per legal documents obtained by Entertainment Weekly Sept. 17, Strader was arrested for allegedly burglarizing an ex-girlfriend's Louisiana home in 2017. The outlet, citing an arrest warrant affidavit from Baton Rouge Police Department, noted that Strader’s ex told police at the time that she’d come home from being out of town to discover she’d been robbed, with a diamond necklace — gifted to her by Strader during their relationship — going missing.
According to EW, citing minutes from the East Baton Rouge Parish court, Strader’s ex dismissed the protective order, without prejudice, and "both parties agreed to a Title 3601 stay away order."
In Strader’s Sept. 19 post, he addressed accusations about his past behavior.
"I have never inappropriately laid hands on another individual or treated my ex-girlfriend in any of the ways I have been depicted," he continued. "That restraining order was never granted, and fully dismissed."
The 28-year-old went on to say that he and his "college ex-girlfriend" would up "reconciling" before they "eventually ended" their relationship "on good terms." He added that he "learned a lot" from the relationship, calling it a "growing experience for both" of them.
As for how the allegations against Strader weren’t flagged as part of "The Bachelorette"'s background check process? A production source told E! News that the restraining order against him hadn't previously been uncovered.
"We take the safety of our contestants very seriously and make every effort to conduct thorough diligence," the source shared Sept. 17. "As exhaustive as our vetting process is, this protective order did not surface in our searches."
