Jenn Tran, star of The Bachelorette, expressed her disappointment and hurt after her ex-fiancé, Devin Strader, released private text messages between them.
“I don’t understand why anyone, especially someone I was engaged to, would share our private messages,” Jenn, 26, said on the September 12 episode of the Viall Files podcast. “When you’re in a relationship, you never expect your private conversations to be made public. It feels like a complete invasion of privacy.”
Jenn and Devin, 28, got engaged during the finale of The Bachelorette season 21, which aired earlier this month. The couple confirmed their breakup during the live After the Rose special on September 3. Devin released a 13-minute Instagram video sharing his side of the story a week later, including screenshots of their private texts.
“I felt so betrayed and disrespected,” Jenn told host Nick Viall. “I don’t mind him sharing his side of the story, but releasing our texts without telling me or giving me a heads-up is crossing a line.”
She further explained that Devin blurred out some parts of the messages but left personal details visible, which she found particularly upsetting. “My mom’s on the internet, and he didn’t think to protect that information. It’s really disrespectful,” Jenn said.
Shortly after posting the video, Devin deleted it and shared an apology on his Instagram Story. He later posted a revised version without the text screenshots, but that, too, has since been removed.
Jenn admitted she hasn’t watched the video and doesn’t plan to. “I don’t need to see it. He’s already wasted six months of my life; I’m not going to give him another 13 minutes,” she said. Instead, Jenn learned about Devin’s claims through friends who contacted her after sharing the video.
“He’s entitled to tell his side of the story,” Jenn acknowledged. “But I don’t condone violating my privacy by sharing personal messages. He had time to speak at the After the Rose special, and I didn’t hear much from him then. If he wants to share more, he’s welcome to, but not like this.”
Jenn emphasized that her appearance on the podcast would be the last time she addressed the situation publicly. “I’m ready to move on. This breakup has shown me that Devin is not someone I would want to spend the rest of my life with.”
Looking forward, Jenn described the breakup as a “blessing in disguise” and said she’s focusing on healing through her participation in Dancing With the Stars. “After a big heartbreak, I always need a new direction, and dancing is something I’ve always wanted to learn,” she told Us Weekly. “This new chapter is really for me, and I’m excited about it.”
Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC on Tuesday, September 17, at 8 p.m. ET and will stream on Disney+, Us Weekly