The Bachelorette season 21’s lead Jenn Tran has been doing her best to create an incredible season of the series, but Bachelor production has let her down so much that I don’t believe Bachelor Nation will see her in the future. Jenn, who originally appeared on Joey Graziadei’s season of The Bachelor, was one of Bachelor Nation’s front-runners for the next Bachelorette lead, even though it seemed production was originally leaning another way. While Daisy Kent and Maria Georgas were the two most talked about potential Bachelorette candidates, Jenn was ultimately cast as the lead of The Bachelorette season 21.
After being named the lead, Jenn’s story began to unfold for Bachelor Nation to see. As the first Asian American Bachelorette, Jenn knew that she had some major responsibility to uphold for her community. In inviting Asian women to see themselves as the lead who’s in control of her own story, Jenn knew that being The Bachelorette wouldn’t just be about finding love, but about expressing herself and her culture. She was upfront about the fact that it would be part of her story on The Bachelorette, but unfortunately, things have been off-kilter since the beginning of her season.
Jenn’s Season Of The Bachelorette Has Been Disappointing
She’s Been Dealing With Too Much Drama
While Jenn was a great pick for Bachelorette, her season has been disappointing throughout its run. With the season focusing on drama over relationships, Jenn’s screentime has been minimal, and her connections haven’t always been the most authentic. Though this happens every season, the promises of Jenn’s season featuring her culture, sharing her story, and making her the center of attention have gone unfulfilled. As Bachelor Nation has watched guys bulldoze conversations with Jenn and openly share that they aren’t interested in her, I’ve been wondering why there’s such an influx of unnecessary drama needed to keep things moving forward.
Jenn Isn’t Happy With The Bachelor Producers
She Didn’t Get A Handpicked Cast
Although it was made clear from early on that Jenn’s cultural background and heritage would be a major part of the season, it’s been downplayed frequently in favor of petty drama between the guys in her cast. Jenn’s Vietnamese background was highlighted earlier in the season, but after the first episodes of The Bachelorette season 21, it’s become clear that after briefly touching upon something important to the lead, the show has moved in a different direction. While Jenn’s entire identity doesn’t revolve around her background, it’s still a big part of who she is and should be recognized accordingly.
The issues with the show highlighting Jenn’s cultural diversity don’t end with her. During the casting process, Jenn wasn’t looped in about her type, as she wasn’t the original choice for Bachelorette. Working with a cast that the team had likely put together for Maria, Jenn’s guys are diverse but only featured one man of Asian descent in the bunch. While Jenn wasn’t looking for someone simply based on their ethnic background, she shared she was disappointed to see fewer Asian men than she thought on opening night. I believe Jenn was hurt by Bachelor producers not considering her background.
Jenn May Have Found Love, But Was Mistreated
Her Season Was Overshadowed
While Jenn’s season hasn’t come to an end, it’s clear that she left The Bachelorette happy. In some pre-season press, she spoke about the fact that she was happy with the way things left off, and she accidentally seemed to reveal that she was engaged at the end of her season. Though these are merely speculations about the end of The Bachelorette season 21, it’s clear Jenn found love whether it lasted or not, but that doesn’t make up for the way that the producers of the show treated her. Jenn’s season has been tough and is already being overshadowed.
After one of the final episodes of Jenn’s season, it was revealed that one of her contestants would be the next Bachelor. Revealing Grant Ellis as the lead of The Bachelor season 29, Bachelor Nation felt frenzied and overwhelmed by the news. While it was clear that he was a great option for the lead, naming Grant as the next Bachelor Nation lead made it clear that the franchise felt finished with Jenn’s season despite having a few episodes left to air. Though Jenn and her final choice still haven’t sealed the deal, taking the spotlight away seems unusually cruel.
Jenn Likely Won’t Stick With The Bachelor Franchise
She Will Probably Move On
Although Jenn still has obligations with The Bachelor franchise, it seems likely to me that after her season comes to an end, she’ll take a similar route to past Bachelor Nation stars like Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar, who have stayed primarily out of the Bachelor spotlight. While Jenn will likely continue working as a brand ambassador on social media, her involvement with future Bachelor franchise shows could be limited because of the way the show treated her throughout her season. I wouldn’t blame Jenn for wanting to sever ties with The Bachelorette producers, especially after how they treated her.
