Maria Georgas has addressed speculation about the nature of her relationship with Devin Strader, who began following Maria on Instagram the day after he dumped The Bachelorette star Jenn Tran and called off their engagement.
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Jenn said Devin broke up with her on the phone in August and then she woke up the next day to him "following girls" on Instagram.
"And not just any girl, but [Maria Georgas]," Jenn shared on the live finale, referencing her fellow The Bachelor 28 alum who had also been in contention to star on The Bachelorette's 21st season.
"Not only is that so disrespectful to everything we had shared with each other, but... it completely invalidates our entire relationship."
The former couple's exchange generated fan speculation about the nature of Devin's relationship with Maria, and after previously teasing that she would "have some things to say" soon Maria released a lengthy TikTok video addressing the matter -- and other topics, including her relationship with Jenn -- on Thursday evening.
"I'm not sure what you guys are expecting, I'm not sure what you guys want from this, but truly what this is going to be is my truth and the frustration that comes with that," Maria said as she began her video.
"[The finale] was hard to watch. And my heart goes out to Jenn. Because going through something like is one thing, but then like having to rewatch and relive it is a different ballgame. And I've been through it and I get it -- but not to that extent. And it was difficult to have to see it as a viewer."
During her video, Maria denied she has ever met Devin as well as fan speculation she may have played a role in the demise of Devin's relationship with Jenn.
"I can't speak on her relationship -- the only two people that can speak on her relationship are her and Devin," she said.
"Those are the only two people that know, truly, what is going on. But unfortunately in this world -- this Bachelor world, this reality TV -- it's always going to be for our viewing pleasure."
"I am constantly trying to just move past a lot of things that I have done in this franchise. You know, I'm over coming to defense for my character. The people who have supported me since Day 1 are still supporting me, and I appreciate that so much -- more than you guys could ever know. Because I know who I am, and my friends and family know who I am."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW"I had nothing to do with the ending of the relationship, like I said that is on them to speak about," she added.
"I've been very transparent with you all. People are calling me out for things that aren't even true, and I can't just sit here with a smile on my face and stay silent. It's not me."
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According to Maria, she didn't even learn Devin had followed her on Instagram until after he had already stopped following her.
"Yes, Devin followed me on Instagram," she said. "Guys, I don't pay attention to who follows me and who doesn't. I had no clue about that until people brought it to my attention I didn't know. And by that time, when I found out, he had unfollowed."
"Let me clear the air on something -- I have never met Devin before. I never went clubbing out with him. I understand he did his own thing."
"I can't control who follows who," she added later in her video. "But what I can control is what I do about it. And what I'm doing is not following back, and I never followed back."
"And now seeing how things transpired, I will never follow that man. And people knew that. So the fact that this whole thing has come out now, and the story has changed is beyond me."
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"Yes, did I go out with Jeremy -- a night with friends, a bunch of us, together -- yes I did," she said in her TikTok video. "But Jeremy got sent home. And they ended on amicable terms. They were on good terms."
"And guys, what do you think [Bachelor in Paradise] is? [It's] everyone's exes, girls and guys, on a beach trying to mix and mingle. But I'm not going on Paradise, so I'm doing this sh-t in real life. I'm meeting people through friends, and I think that's very normal and okay to do. So I will not apologize about that.
However, Maria said she also understood Jenn feeling the need to mention Devin's hurtful decision to follow Maria the day after he dumped Jenn during The Bachelorette's live finale.
"Hearing my name [be brought up], I understand Jenn having to speak up about it," she explained. "Say your piece, girlfriend, I respect it. I just think without the full context, it leads people to believe a whole different narrative."
"My name being brought up was a shock," Maria said.
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"I know it was brought up earlier on the show, and I heard about it," she continued, alluding to earlier The Bachelorette episodes in which some of Jenn's bachelor suitors (notable Sam McKinney) had admitted they'd expected Maria or Daisy Kent, who also appeared on The Bachelor's 28th season, to be Season 21's Bachelorette star.
"This is why I can not be the Bachelorette, this is why I could not do what Jenn did in her position. The moment a man was going to bring up another girl's name to my face would be, 'There is the f-cking door.' I hate that that happened to her. I hate that that was brought up to her face, I hate that she even had to hear those words. It pisses me off."
"And this is probably partially why I really could not watch the show in full. But you've got to commend Jenn on how she handled things. She did it like a true Bachelorette, and for that, kudos to you."
Maria ended her video by confirming she and Jenn are no longer friends but she still considers herself a supporter of The Bachelorette star.
"The last thing I want to do is have this weird narrative where Jenn and I are against each other," Maria said. "Just because we've separated our ways and are no longer friends doesn't mean we hate each other. And [it] doesn't mean if someone is going to disrespect her in my face that I'm going to sit here and stand for it. Because I'm not."
"You guys wanted the truth, that's the truth. I mean there's not much more to it. I'm trying to move forward from all this and I feel like I keep getting dragged in."
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"I'm not sitting here trying to be a hater, trying to get into this B.S. -- this is the last thing I want. Let's just put it to rest. I was just enjoying my family vacation. I just did not [want] to be dragged into this. Enough with the pitting women against each other. I know that's a favorite thing to do in this world, but I'm not interested in that."
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About The Author: Steven Rogers
