The Bachelorette Season 21: 10 Signs The Show Doesn't Care About Its Lead Jenn Tran

Summary

• The Bachelorette season 21 producers should make a statement that Jenn Tran was their first choice for the lead.
• Only one Asian man was cast in Jenn’s season, highlighting the franchise’s lack of diversity.
• The Bachelorette season 21 premiere focused more on drama and shock value, overshadowing Jenn, and potentially setting the tone for the season.

The Bachelorette season 21 premiered on July 8, but it’s been obvious since Jenn Tran was first announced as its lead that the producers don’t care about her. Jenn, a 26-year-old physician assistant student who’s originally from Hillsdale, New Jersey, but now living in Boston, Massachusetts, is making history as the first Asian American Bachelor franchise lead. She got her start on Joey Graziadei’s Bachelor season, during which she made it to his Top 6 women. However, he said goodbye to her right before his hometown dates.

Now Jenn is ready to continue her journey to find love during The Bachelorette season 21. She met her 25 suitors at the Hummingbird Nest Ranch rather than the traditional Bachelor Mansion, and she made a few strong connections on night one. The deepest of those connections so far is Sam McKinney, to whom she gave her first impression rose, and the first and only kiss of the night. TIme will tell if Jenn finds her true love and gets engaged, but it’s obvious right now that the producers don’t have her best interests at heart.

1 The Bachelorette Producers Haven’t Confirmed That Jenn Tran Was Their First Choice

Rumors Have Swirled That Jenn Was A Last-Minute Third Choice

Ever since Jenn was announced as The Bachelorette season 21 lead, rumors have been flying that she was a last-minute third choice after The Bachelor season 28 runner-up Daisy Kent and fan favorite Maria Georgas turned it down. Jenn went straight into filming after her announcement, so she was unable to immediately respond to the speculation that she wasn’t the producers’ first choice for the lead. However, The Bachelorette producers should’ve stepped up and said that Jenn was their first choice in order to support her in her journey.

If it’s true that Jenn was the Bachelorette season 21 producers’ third choice for the lead role, then it proves that they weren’t actively seeking to cast the first Asian American lead in the franchise, but instead they settled for whoever they could get. The fact that Jenn happened to be Asian was a happy accident that they could use to prove that they’re committing to the more diverse casting that fans have been demanding for the past decade. This proves that they really didn’t care about Jenn at all.

2 The Bachelorette Producers Revealed That Daisy Kent Turned Down The Role

Daisy Was Expected To Be The Next Bachelorette

Before Jenn was announced as The Bachelorette season 21 lead, Joey’s runner-up Daisy took the stage to speak about her journey. When the roses on the stage were changed to daisies, viewers thought that the show was about to announce Daisy as the next Bachelorette. However, Daisy explained that she wasn’t ready to take on the role, so she’d turned it down.

Fans were inevitably disappointed because Daisy had become a fan favorite due to her sweet demeanor and her gracious self-elimination during the final rose ceremony. They thought that their heroine was about to announce that she was continuing her journey to find love on The Bachelorette season 21, but instead they found out that someone else would take on the role. It didn’t matter who that woman was; she was inevitably going to feel like a let-down for Daisy fans.

If the producers truly cared about Jenn, they would’ve announced her as the Bachelorette season 21 lead before Daisy took the stage and allowed Jenn to have her moment. Instead, Jenn appeared to be a second choice after Daisy turned down the role, which made her announcement feel like an afterthought and/or a disappointment. This was so unfair to Jenn, and she deserved better.

3 The Bachelorette Producers Allowed Maria Georgas To Reveal That She Was Initially Cast

Maria Implied That She Gave Up The Role For Jenn

On the Call Her Daddy podcast, Maria claimed that she was The Bachelorette season 21 lead until she turned it down. She explained, “I was offered the role. I mean, it was mine until I said it wasn’t. To the point where I was doing fittings.” Maria said, “It was set in stone.” She added that, during Joey’s Bachelor season, Jenn was one of her “closest girls in the house” and “she was always verbalizing how badly she wanted this.”

Maria shared that, even though everyone around her wanted her to be the Bachelorette, she wondered why she wasn’t happy or excited about it. She said that she finally realized, “It’s just not my time,” and she declined the role. Maria also said that she then took a step back from things because she wanted some time off, but she also wanted Jenn “to have her moment.” She said, “She is the most perfect Bachelorette in my eyes. I couldn’t think of anyone better to do this. And she was so ready for it. And that was enough for me to kind of say, yeah, it’s not my time.”

Maria shouldn’t have been allowed to reveal anything about the Bachelorette casting process on this podcast. The producers should’ve spoken out after Maria’s comments were made in order to prove that Jenn wasn’t their third choice. Maria made it seem as though she stepped aside so that Jenn could have the role because she wanted it more than she did. However, the Bachelorette producers didn’t seem to care, and their silence speaks volumes.

4 Jenn Admitted That She Was Upset By The Speculation About Her Casting

Jenn Refuted Maria’s Claims

After Jenn finished filming The Bachelorette season 21, she also appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast. She shared that, because she’d gone right into filming after she was announced as the lead, she didn’t have her phone when “all of this was going down” about how she became the star of the show. Jenn admitted that she was “obviously really disappointed to see all that.“ She insisted that there are “a lot of narratives out there, and they’re not necessarily the truth.”

Jenn contradicted Maria’s claims, and explained that The Bachelorette has been going on for 21 years, and “every season there are multiple people in contention for the role.” She said that multiple people get interviewed or do meetings. They also do fittings or film intro packages, “and it’s never really you until it’s you.“

Jenn insisted that it wasn’t a last minute decision for her to be the Bachelorette. She said, “We had meetings about it. We talked about it for months. And then they asked me, and I had the choice, and I chose to do it. I said yes.” Jenn continued, “It was disappointing to come back from this incredible journey for myself, and then to see all the speculation around it, and to almost have these things kind of take away from what my journey was.”

Although Jenn shared that she talked to the other women who were up for the role of the Bachelorette, and “we’re all fine, and it’s all good,”Maria eventually unfollowed her on Instagram, indicating that this wasn’t the case. The producers made it so that Jenn had no choice but to dispute Maria’s claims, and therefore caused the possible end of their friendship. If they really cared about Jenn, they would have spoken up for her while she was filming, instead of having her come back to disappointing comments to which she felt forced to respond.

5 The Bachelorette Season 21 Cast Is Smaller Than The Bachelor Season 28 Cast

Joey Graziadei Had 32 Women From Which To Choose

It appears that the Bachelorette always gets less than the Bachelor, no matter what season. The Bachelorette had the failed experiment of co-Bachelorettes with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia, while no Bachelors have ever had to share the lead role. In 2023, The Bachelor season 27 lead Zach Shallcross had eleven episodes in his season, while The Bachelorette season 20 lead Charity Lawson only had nine.

Now, history is repeating itself as Jenn has fewer contestants than Joey had. While Joey’s cast was made up of a whopping 32 women, Jenn has seven fewer men at 25. It isn’t fair that Joey had more contestants to choose from than Jenn. Jenn should’ve had just as many contestants to choose from as Joey. However, this proves that the producers care more about their Bachelors than their Bachelorettes.

6 The Bachelorette Producers Only Cast One Asian Man For Jenn

Thomas Nguyen Is The Only Asian American In The Cast

During The Bachelorette season 21 premiere, Jenn bonded with contestant Thomas Nguyen about their Vietnamese culture. He is the only Asian American man in the cast. In an interview with Glamour, Jenn admitted that she wished that she had more men who came from her same culture and background in her cast. She said, “I can’t really speak to the casting process and the decisions that were made, but it is unfortunate that there weren’t a lot of Asian men this season.”

Jenn continued, “Asian men haven’t always seen themselves in this position, and I am hoping that me being here and Thomas N. being there, that the both of us can inspire other Asian men to realize that they can do this too if they want. They can be in this position as well. I’m hoping that it inspires them.”

For years, Bachelor Nation has hoped for more Asian American representation in the franchise, but the fact that the producers finally cast an Asian American lead with only one contestant from her background is inexcusable. Some fans have speculated that these men were originally chosen for Daisy, but it really doesn’t matter: the casting should’ve been adjusted for Jenn.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, TheBachelorette producer Bennett Graebner addressed the lack of Asian representation in Jenn’s cast. He said, “That’s on us. We didn’t do what we needed to do. Our hope is that they will see Jenn and realize this is a safe space. We’re not saying it will solve and fix everything. But it is a step.”

It’s true that Jenn being cast as the Bachelorette season 21 lead is a step in the right direction for the Bachelor franchise. However, this quote makes her appear like a token, which is completely unfair to her. If the producers really cared about depicting an Asian American love story, instead of just checking a box to fulfill a quota, then they would’ve cast more Asian men for Jenn.

7 The Bachelorette Premiere Was More About Shock Value Than Jenn

The Men’s Outrageous Limousine Entrances Took Center Stage

The Bachelorette season 21 premiere spent some time showcasing Jenn’s heritage and how important it is that she’s the first Asian American Bachelorette, but it quickly shifted gears to focus on the men. From Jonathon Johnson’s outrageous costume in which he wore nothing but a hospital gown and sneakers to Austin Ott streaking through the house during a game of Truth or Dare, the men’s antics took center stage. Jenn was all but lost in the shuffle as the guys dominated her airtime, through no fault of their own.

While the introductions of the Bachelorette men are essential to premiere night, if the producers really cared about Jenn, then they would’ve framed them in a way that highlighted her. Instead, a lot of time was spent building dramatic storylines, such as the inevitable confrontation between Jeremy Simon and Brian Autz. Brian not only stole Jenn away from Jeremy, but also the keys to his sports car. Instead of focusing on childish nonsense like this, the episode should’ve given more time to allow the audience to get to know Jenn.

8 The Bachelorette Previews Prioritize Drama Over Love

Jenn’s Love Story Is Overshadowed By Conflict

While The Bachelorette always has its fair share of drama, Jenn’s season preview package was dominated by it. If the producers truly cared about Jenn, they’d be more focused on her love stories than the petty arguments among the men. It’s sad to see that they haven’t learned anything from past seasons.

Jenn was one of the few women on Joey’s Bachelor season who really wasn’t involved in any of the drama at all. She didn’t get sucked into any of the arguments and instead focused on Joey. She deserved to have a season that focused on her, but instead it seems that she’s going to be spending a lot of time dealing with conflict. It’ll be interesting to see how much of that drama is created by the producers with their usual manipulation and interference.

9 The Bachelorette Producers Allowed Jenn’s Ex-Boyfriend To Come On The Show

They Didn’t Have Jenn’s Best Interest At Heart

The Bachelorette season 21 previews show one of Jenn’s ex-boyfriends approaching her on the show, and she’s shocked and upset by it. She then tells the other men that he wants to join the show. While it remains to be seen if Jenn allows her ex to try to win her back, the fact that he was ever allowed to approach Jenn in the first place proves that the producers didn’t care about protecting her.

On every season of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise, there comes a moment in which the producers’ interference is too obvious to deny. It’s hard to believe that they didn’t have a hand in bringing Jenn’s ex to the show. It all seems very manipulative. Jenn didn’t seem happy about it, and it was totally wrong for them to mess with her mind like that.

Joan Vassos Was Announced As The First-Ever Golden Bachelorette Lead Before Jenn’s Season Premiered

Although many fans were anxiously awaiting Jenn’s Bachelorette season 21 premiere, they also couldn’t wait to find out who the first-ever Golden Bachelorette would be. Before Jenn’s season premiere, Joan Vassos was revealed as the lead, and, through no fault of Joan, the announcement overshadowed Jenn. The producers could’ve waited until after Jenn’s season premiered to share that Joan was their Golden Bachelorette lead in order to keep the spotlight on Jenn and keep viewers focused on her.

In addition, the Golden Bachelorette premiere date was announced two days after Jenn’s premiere. There was no reason for the producers to shift the focus from Jenn to Joan, especially since Joan’s season doesn’t premiere until September 18. If they really cared about Jenn, then they’d let her have her moment. Instead, Jenn’s season feels like the opening act for something bigger and better.

The Bachelorette season 21 has the potential to be one of the best yet, but the producers also have a history of ruining seasons that could’ve been great. Hopefully, they’ll do Jenn justice, but it already seems that once again they’re more focused on drama and conflict rather than love. Jenn is making history as the first Asian American franchise lead, and she deserves better from the Bachelorette producers.

The Bachelorette

airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.

Sources: Call Her Daddy, Call Her Daddy, Glamour, Los Angeles Times