Melissa Rycroft-Strickland, best known for her turn on Season 13 of The Bachelor, was arrested on September 23 in Southlake, Texas, on suspicion of driving under the influence.
According to Tarrant County arrest records, Rycroft-Strickland, 42, was booked into the county jail on a Driving While Intoxicated charge. She was released later that day on a $1,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court September 24.
Her attorney, Bret Martin, issued a statement reminding the public that an arrest is not a conviction. “Every individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Martin said. “It is imperative that we examine the circumstances of this case—including law enforcement conduct and toxicology results—before drawing any conclusions.”
Rycroft first entered the public eye in 2009, when she was briefly engaged to Bachelor lead Jason Mesnick before he ended the relationship on live television in favor of runner-up Molly Malaney, whom he later married. She went on to compete twice on Dancing with the Stars, winning the franchise’s first all-star season in 2012. A former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, she parlayed her reality TV fame into a career in broadcasting and appearances across the entertainment circuit.
Now, more than a decade removed from her prime-time moment, Rycroft finds herself back in the headlines—this time in a courtroom rather than on a ballroom floor.
Celebrity Hot Chicks News Reality TV
Last modified: October 3, 2025
