The Bachelorette season 21 lead Jenn Tran has some drama with her apparently former friend, Maria Georgas, who made it seem as though Jenn was the producers' third choice to star in the show. Jenn, a 26-year-old physician assistant student from Hillsdale, New Jersey, who's currently living in Miami, Florida, and Maria, a 29-year-old executive assistant from Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada became friends during Joey Graziadei's Bachelor season. Although neither Jenn nor Maria won Joey's heart in the end because he got engaged to Kelsey Anderson, they gained a loving and supportive friendship with each other.
However, Jenn and Maria's friendship has since crumbled. Before the lead of The Bachelorette season 21 was announced, fans expected that runner-up Daisy Kent or fan favorite Maria would be cast. They were shocked when, during the "After the Final Rose" episode of Joey's season, Daisy revealed that she turned down the role. When Jenn was introduced as the next Bachelorette lead, Maria was in the audience, cheering for her friend. Fans wondered why Maria was passed over for the role if she was considered a frontrunner. Now Jenn and Maria are in a conflict about the truth behind how Jenn was cast.
Maria Georgas Made It Seem Like Jenn Tran Was Third Choice For The Bachelorette
Maria Said That The Role Was Hers Until It Wasn't
On the Call Her Daddy podcast, Maria revealed that she was The Bachelorette season 21 lead until she turned it down. She began by saying, "If I'm going to be in this world, I have to be honest," and then said, "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."
Maria then went on to say that Jenn was one of her "closest girls in the house" during Joey's Bachelor season, and "she was always verbalizing how badly she wanted this." Maria shared that everyone around her was so supportive of her being the Bachelorette and everyone wanted it for her, but 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." In addition, Maria admitted that she was "anxious" and wasn't "mentally prepared for it" after her experience on The Bachelor season 28.
Jenn Admitted She Was Disappointed In The Comments About How She Became The Lead
Jenn Insisted That She Wasn't Third Choice
After Jenn finished filming The Bachelorette, she also appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast. She shared that she didn't have her phone when "all of this was going down" about how she became the lead because she'd gone right into filming after her Bachelorette announcement. She admitted that she was "obviously really disappointed to see all that." Jenn insisted that there are "a lot of narratives out there, and they're not necessarily the truth."
Jenn disputed 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 revealed 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."
Jenn also shared that she's talked to the other women who were up for the role of the Bachelorette. She said, "Everything's good. You know, that's the thing about being in this world, and being mature and just knowing what world you're in, and being a person, and being mature about it all." She said, "We're all fine, and it's all good."
The Bachelorette Season 21 Bombshell Could Completely Upend Jenn Tran's Season (SPOILERS)
With new information recently coming to light about one of the men, it seems Jenn Tran's season of The Bachelorette may be over before it even starts.
Maria Unfollowed Jenn On Instagram
Is Their Friendship Over?
Despite Jenn believing that there was no bad blood between her and Maria, after her Call Her Daddy podcast appearance, Maria unfollowed Jenn on Instagram. This was a surprising development considering how close the two women seemed to be, and how supportive Maria was of Jenn becoming The Bachelorette season 21 lead. As of now, Jenn still follows Maria.
Maria Posted A TikTok Asking If She Was The Villain
Maria Seemed To Be Addressing The Drama With Jenn
In a TikTok video, Maria seemed to address her feud with Jenn. Maria lip syncs to the famous Scarlet Envy quote from a RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 6 promo. Maria says, "Is it me? Am I the drama? I don't think I'm the drama. Maybe I am. Am I the villain? I don't think I'm the villain." Her Bachelorette season 28 co-star and friend Lauren Hollinger shakes her head no as she says this. Maria's caption reads, "Drama free."
It's understandable that Jenn was upset to hear that she was made to look like the third choice for The Bachelorette season 21 and that Maria did her a favor by turning down the role. In addition, there has been a lot of publicity about how Jenn's breaking ground as the first Asian American Bachelor franchise lead. However, if she wasn't the producers' first choice, then it diminishes the impact of that decision. Maria's comments made Jenn look like an afterthought.
Jenn had every right to set the record straight. It's sad that Maria, who was bullied during The Bachelor season 28, now seems to be making light of the fact that she hurt Jenn. Jenn didn't have any drama with the other women during The Bachelor, but Maria was at the center of a lot of it. It's a shame that Jenn's own Bachelorette season is beginning like this. Hopefully, Jenn and Maria will work out their differences, and repair their friendship in the future.
