'The Bachelorette' Contestant Devin Strader Draws Criticism for Unsettling Views
Devin Strader from 'The Bachelorette' reportedly said the N-word and expressed the belief that 9/11 was an "inside job."
Published July 31 2024, 4:13 p.m. ET
Content warning: This post contains mentions of the N-word and racism, anti-LGBTQ and anti-immigrant views, and 9/11 conspiracy theories.
After a run of decent seasons with mostly likable contestants and charming leads, Season 21 of The Bachelorette has become a hot mess. Our leading lady, Jenn Tran, is stuck with a group of drama-hungry guys who are now being exposed as some pretty awful people.
First up, there's Sam McKinney, who apparently had a girlfriend when he signed up for the show. And now, frontrunner Devin Strader is also under fire as some controversial details from his past come to light. Keep scrolling for the full scoop.
What to know about the controversy surrounding Devin Strader from 'The Bachelorette.'
Just as we're starting to warm up to Devin, he hits us with some jaw-dropping news! On July 30, Reddit user u/Garrido23 dropped a juicy, lengthy post about the Houston native on the Bachelor subreddit.
To kick things off, the Redditor revealed that Devin appears to have been an aspiring rapper before joining The Bachelorette. Screenshots showed that Devin, who goes by the artist name 96dev, was confident he had "what it takes" to make it in the music industry.
The Reddit user noted that if you Google "96dev," you'll still find his Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, and YouTube pages. However, many of his tracks have vanished.
Devin reportedly released two albums and several singles, including a 2019 track called "96waves," which featured the N-word. The Redditor even shared a screenshot of the lyrics confirming its presence.
On a related note, Devin seems to have some troubling views. The Redditor revealed that he allegedly followed a right-wing Instagram account called @the_typical_liberal, based on the number of posts he's liked, with his most recent like from March 2024.
Screenshots shared by the Redditor showed Devin liking posts from this account. In a second post, the Redditor shared screenshots of anti-vax, anti-LGBTQ, anti-immigration, and racist content that Devin reportedly liked in the past.
To make matters worse, Devin is reportedly a 9/11 conspiracy theorist. Before Season 21 of The Bachelorette aired, spoiler king Reality Steve hinted at a shocking moment from a truth or dare game in the premiere that he wasn't sure would make it to air.
On Monday, July 1, Reddit user u/Wide-Adeptness-279 took to the Bachelorette subreddit's spoiler thread and spilled the beans. In their post, the Redditor claimed to know someone who was on Jenn's season of the show.
After asking their friend about the "shocking moment," the Reddit user learned that Reality Steve was likely referring to an instance on night one. During a game of truth or dare, one contestant admitted to believing in 9/11 conspiracy theories.
On July 7, Reality Steve confirmed this during a livestream. He elaborated on his blog on July 9, writing, "During the game of Truth or Dare, Devin rolled Truth, he was asked what conspiracy theory he believed in, and he said he thought 9/11 was an inside job."
Reality Steve added, "Not something I agree with whatsoever, nor does at minimum 70 percent of America. Not sure why that’d be something you’d want to share publicly."
The Bachelorette airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. Stream the next day on Hulu.
