In the aftermath of “The Bachelorette” Season 21 finale, notorious contestant Sam McKinney has unleashed his frustration towards rival Devin Strader. During the “After the Final Rose” episode, it was disclosed that Devin ended his engagement with Jenn Tran via a phone call. Sam and Jenn initially shared a strong physical connection during the season, highlighted by Jenn awarding Sam her first impression rose and sharing her inaugural kiss with him. However, their relationship soured due to several blunders on his part, including his inability to articulate why he loved her.
Reflecting on these events, Sam took to Instagram, sharing his thoughts on the season finale with the words, “That was brutal.” He disclosed that despite their differences, he once “cared very, very deeply” for Jenn and found it painful to witness her public breakup announcement. Expressing his best wishes for her future, Sam turned his attention to Devin, challenging one of Devin’s Instagram captions, “The good guys always win,” with the remark, “That might not be me, but it’s sure as hell not you either.”
Sam McKinney & Thomas Nguyen Exchange Support Amid Devin Controversy
Throughout the season, both Sam and Thomas Nguyen found themselves at odds with Devin, leading to their portrayal as antagonists. Sam and Devin had a contentious relationship, while Thomas felt aggrieved when Devin interrupted his time with Jenn during a cocktail party. In response to Sam’s Instagram post, Thomas commented, “Proud of you bro,” to which Sam replied, “Proud of us man. S* was never easy dealing with all of this. Glad we stood on what we knew.”
During the show’s airing, Sam and his family frequently took to social media to argue that only one side of the story was being presented and that Sam was receiving an unfavorable edit. Jenn even confronted him about this during the “Men Tell All” episode. While Devin’s actions towards Jenn, as revealed in the finale, do not justify Sam’s behavior, they raise questions about the full context of his conflict with Devin. However, Sam’s use of aggressive language towards Devin, such as threatening to “snap him in half” and “step on his neck,” remains concerning.
Both Devin and Sam were guilty of causing Jenn distress. Sam disregarded her feelings by pressuring her into jumping from the Auckland Sky Tower and struggled to express his love for her. Additionally, he admitted to thinking that Daisy Kent or Maria Georgas would be chosen as the Bachelorette. As Sam noted, Devin’s portrayal as a villain does not automatically make Sam the hero. It is plausible that Devin was one of the true antagonists of “The Bachelorette” Season 21, but benefited from a favorable portrayal due to his engagement storyline.
“The Bachelorette” is available for streaming on Hulu.
Sources: Sam McKinney/Instagram, Bachelor Nation/YouTube
