The Bachelorette: I Knew Devin Strader Was The Villain All Along (He's Worse Than Sam McKinney)

The Bachelorette season 21’s villain was Devin Strader all along, and though Bachelor Nation wanted to say it was Sam McKinney, I feel certain Devin has been the villain throughout the season. After The Bachelorette season 21’s heartbreaking finale, it became abundantly clear that while many were rooting for Jenn Tran to find love with Devin, their relationship wasn’t something sustainable. Sadly, Jenn gave her final rose to Devin and found herself heartbroken when he ended their relationship over text just a few weeks later. While she was taken aback by Devin’s behavior, his actions got worse after the split.

Jenn’s biggest issues with Devin weren’t that their relationship wasn’t working, but were more that after their insensitive breakup, she found out that he moved on almost immediately, going out to the club with his fellow Bachelorette contestants and following the almost lead Maria Georgas on Instagram. Jenn was hurt by Devin’s behavior, taking it as a surprise, but after watching Devin on The Bachelorette, I’m not shocked at his actions at all. While many felt that Sam was the villain of the season throughout The Bachelorette season 21, I’ve known since the beginning that it was actually front-runner Devin.

Devin Was Starting Drama From The Start Of The Bachelorette Season 21

He Wasn’t Subtle About Getting Into The Drama

Although Devin was a front-runner for Jenn’s heart from early on in The Bachelorette season 21, it was clear that he was a villain from early episodes, too. Though there were potentially bigger figures that seemed to be darker or more villainous than Devin, his inability to stay out of the drama of other contestants’ relationships with Jenn was a huge red flag. Devin’s behavior wasn’t something that I thought would work for Jenn, and when he turned up the charm with her, it felt fake.

While Devin did seem to be sharing his genuine self with Jenn when they spoke one-on-one, his time away from her didn’t bring the same energy. The switch-up in his personality was disheartening and made me wonder if he was actually someone I could see Jenn choosing at the end of the season. Though he was charming and charismatic during his time with Jenn herself, I found myself wondering if his drama with the rest of the cast would ultimately cost him her heart frequently. Unfortunately, Jenn trusted the Devin she saw in front of her.

Devin Seemed Like A Love-Bomber

His Feelings Were Overwhelming And Disingenuous

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While strong feelings can develop quickly in The Bachelor franchise, there are times that the contestants’ feelings for the lead tend to feel a bit more overwhelming than what they’re getting back in return. Devin was quick to share his feelings with Jenn, and once he opened up about how he felt about her, he didn’t appear to want to hold back. Even though Jenn and Devin did have a strong connection throughout the season, it felt like his influx of emotions and the overwhelming way he shared them was love bombing, which can be a form of emotional abuse.

Devin Never Seemed Truly In Love With Jenn

He Didn’t Seem To Actually Want Her

Even though Jenn could’ve been getting love bombed by Devin with his excessive praise, it also felt like he wasn’t truly, deeply in love with her throughout The Bachelorette season 21. Devin often shared that he wanted to leave the show, complained about the other contestants getting time with Jenn, and made himself a burden. As someone who seemed like he was hoping to get to know Jenn better, Devin’s complaints always struck me the wrong way. It felt like he wasn’t interested in Jenn at all, and The Bachelorette villain all but confirmed as much by the season’s end.