Bachelor alum Melissa Rycroft Strickland faces DUI suspicion in Texas, attorney asks for patience as facts emerge

On Sept. 23, 2025, the Bachelor star Melissa Rycroft Strickland was arrested in Southlake, Texas, for DUI.

TMZ reported it first on October 2, 2025.

According to county records, the 42-year-old reality star was charged with Drunk Driving. Rycroft Strickland was released later that date on a $1,000 bond and instructed to appear in court on September 24.

People magazine was also able to confirm the arrest and reached out to the Southlake police for comment.

The Bachelor star's attorney, Bret Martin, shared with TMZ and People that everybody is innocent until proven guilty. Just because someone is arrested doesn’t mean they are guilty.

He also said it was important to examine the circumstances of the case, including law enforcement’s conduct, the toxicology results, and the facts around the arrest,  before drawing any conclusions.

Rycroft Strickland gained national attention as a contestant on season 13 of The Bachelor and later as a competitor and eventual champion on the all-star season of Dancing With the Stars.

She has been married to Tye Strickland since 2009, and the couple shares three children.

Police account and the lawyer’s response for The Bachelor alum's DUI case

TMZ reported that on the afternoon of September 23, officers in Southlake responded to a report of a damaged vehicle near a tree.

The responding officer’s report, cited by TMZ, said the black Cadillac Escalade driven by Rycroft Strickland showed “fresh damage” and that she displayed “bloodshot eyes” and “slurred speech” with the odor of “a metabolized alcoholic beverage.”

According to the police documents, she told officers she had been hit by another vehicle and that the other driver fled the scene.

However, TMZ noted that a witness allegedly stated only Rycroft Strickland’s vehicle was present. The officer conducted field sobriety tests and then placed her under arrest.

Police also documented cups inside the vehicle with “fresh droplets of colored liquid substances and spilled liquids” suspected to be alcohol.

Her attorney, Bret Martin, told TMZ and PEOPLE,

“Every individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty.” He also stressed, “it is imperative that we closely examine the circumstances of this case, including the conduct of law enforcement, the toxicology results, and the facts surrounding her arrest, before any conclusions are drawn.”

Background and current status of The Bachelor alum Melissa Rycroft

Melissa Rycroft Strickland first appeared on season 13 of The Bachelor, where she accepted a proposal from Jason Mesnick.

He later ended the relationship on live television to be with runner-up Molly Mesnick.

She joined Dancing With the Stars in 2009 and came back for the 2012 all-star season, which she won.

In 2009 she married Tye Strickland, and they have three children together. The couple later starred in the CMT reality show Melissa & Tye in 2012.

Public records from Tarrant County cited by TMZ and PEOPLE show that Rycroft Strickland was held for about eight hours before paying the $1,000 bond and was told to appear in court on September 24, 2025.

So far, no conviction has been reported and toxicology results have not been made public.

Law enforcement has not given any more details other than confirming the arrest to People magazine

Media outlets note that the full facts, including test results, officer conduct, and witness statements, remain to be examined.

Martin asked that the media and public “withhold any judgment whatsoever until all of the evidence has been properly analyzed and presented in a court of law.”
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