The Bachelorette winner Devin Strader has denied claims he mistreated his ex-girlfriend after it was revealed that she filed a restraining order against him in 2017, days after he burglarized her house.
The reality star, 28, insisted that the accusations are 'simply not true' and claimed that the restraining order was 'fully dismissed' by a judge as he broke his silence on Instagram.
'Most recently, there have been challenges from a low point in my past that have been brought up and severely misconstrued,' his statement read.
'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 Bachelorette winner Devin Strader has spoken out to deny claims he mistreated his ex-girlfriend
The reality star, 28, insisted that the accusations about his past are 'simply not true', adding that the restraining order against him was 'fully dismissed'
Devin, who found love with Jenn Tran in the latest season of The Bachelorette, said that he and his ex-girlfriend ended up reconciling, but eventually ended their relationship 'on good terms.'
He continued: '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.'
Concluding his statement, Devin admitted that while he is not perfect, he continues to work on himself every day.
He finished: '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 was reported that Devin was arrested seven years ago for breaking into his former partner's home in Louisiana.
According to reports, his ex-girlfriend filed a restraining order against him just three days later, claiming that he had spat on her and put her in a 'chokehold'.
In legal documents filed on March 19, 2017, Devin's former partner claimed her house was broken into and a diamond necklace he had gifted her was missing.
She also alleged to the police that he had 'come to her house banging on the door several times and screaming at her'.
Devin concluded his post: 'I know that I have made mistakes in my life and that I am not perfect'
The Bachelorette's leading star Jenn Tran found love with Devin in the ABC show's latest season - but their romance abruptly ended after the cameras stopped rolling
'Later that evening, [Strader] made a fire out in the street with what appeared to be the actual restraining order,' the affidavit, seen by Entertainment Weekly, continued.
'She also had a tire flattened in her vehicle and when it was getting changed, [Strader] came outside and began laughing at her.'
Devin allegedly pleaded guilty to criminal trespass charges and criminal damage to property of less than $500 and received one year of unsupervised probation.
Meanwhile, in the restraining order, which was filed on March 22, 2017, his ex alleged that Devin 'spit on me and threw his drink on me at Pelicans game in front of everyone in the crowd' and 'put me in a chokehold covering my mouth.'
Reports of Devin's alleged criminal past have been circulating far and wide on social media, which in turn has raised questions about The Bachelorette's casting process and its duty of care.
In one viral TikTok, user lovetoseeitpod pleaded with producers to be more rigorous when it comes to carrying out background checks on future participants.
Speaking in the video, she said: 'It is something that we believe should really have been disqualifying for Devin to be on the show.
'I think that we can all agree that the production company [and] the network all need to be very careful about prioritizing the safety of their leads and not putting their leads in a position to date someone who has a track record which indicates they might not be a safe person to form a serious relationship with.'
Devin broke off his engagement with Jenn over the phone
In the show's live final, Devin claimed he did have 'real' feelings for Jenn - but they faded
'It feels like laziness or negligence that they weren't discovered earlier,' the user added of the court documents.
'We want people who go on this show to be safe and not be put in a position to be around people who might harm them, physically or emotionally,' she finished.
'Do better casting, I think you have to up the detail of your background checks in the future because this is not okay.'
A source close to production told Entertainment Weekly: '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.'
DailyMail.com has contacted ABC, Devin, and Jenn for comment.
While Jenn and Devin left The Bachelorette loved up, their relationship quickly soured after filming stopped and he broke off their engagement over the phone.
Jenn later called him out for being so loving towards her initially and switching up so quickly.
During the finale, Devin claimed he did have 'real' feelings for Jenn but they faded.
'Obviously I failed you,' he told her. 'And there's nothing I can say other than that. But everything I felt for you was real.'
