The Bachelorette season 21 finale was one of the most shocking in the reality dating show's history, and one of the most gasp-worthy moments was when lead Jenn Tran revealed that her ex-fiancé, Devin Strader, had started following her former friend, Maria Georgas, on Instagram after their breakup. Jenn became the Bachelorette after The Bachelor season 28's Daisy Kent and Maria Georgas were expected to be cast, which was a pleasant surprise for Bachelor Nation.
During The Bachelorette season 21 finale, Jenn broke new ground by being the first Bachelorette to propose to her final choice. However, during the "After the Final Rose" episode, Jenn revealed that Devin had broken off their engagement via a phone call about a month earlier, saying that he didn't love her anymore, and he'd never wanted to get engaged in the first place. Jenn also revealed how hurt she was that Devin had followed Maria on Instagram after their breakup. Here's how the drama between Jenn and Maria began, and where they stand after this new turn of events.
What Did Maria Say About Being The Bachelorette?
Maria Claimed That The Role Was Hers Until It Wasn't
Jenn and Maria became close friends when they appeared on The Bachelor season 28 starring Joey Graziadei. Jenn made it to Joey's Top 6 contestants, while Maria made it to the Top 4. Throughout the season, Maria had a lot of drama with several of the other contestants, but never Jenn. In fact, Maria was in the audience cheering for Jenn and telling her that she loved her so much when she was announced as the next Bachelorette during Joey's "After the Final Rose" episode.
However, when Jenn began filming, Maria appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast, and revealed that she was The Bachelorette season 21 lead until she turned it down. She 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 also shared that everyone around her was so supportive of her being the Bachelorette, 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.
"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 also shared 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." She said that she took a step back because she wanted some time off, but she also wanted Jenn "to have her moment." Maria 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."
How Did Jenn Respond To Maria's Claims That She Was The Bachelorette First?
Jenn Was Disappointed In Maria
After Jenn wrapped filming on The Bachelorette season 21, she also appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast, and revealed that, because she didn't have her phone due to filming, she didn't know that "all of this was going down" about how people thought that she was the third choice for the role after Daisy and Maria. Jenn admitted that she was "obviously really disappointed to see all that." She insisted that there were "a lot of narratives out there, and they're not necessarily the truth."
Jenn disputed Maria's claims that she was originally cast as the Bachelorette, and explained that the show 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 added 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'd 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."
How Did Jenn & Maria Handle The Conflict On Social Media?
Maria Made A Few Public Displays
Although Jenn thought that everything was fine between her and the other women, Maria apparently didn't feel the same way. After Jenn's Call Her Daddy podcast appearance, Maria unfollowed her on Instagram. However, at the time of this writing, Jenn still follows Maria on the social media platform.
In addition, in a since-deleted TikTok video, Maria seemed to address the conflict with Jenn. Maria lip synced 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 also appeared in the video, shaking her head no. Maria's caption read, "Drama free."
How Did Sam McKinney Rekindle The Jenn & Maria Feud?
Sam Told Jenn That He Thought Maria Was Going To Be The Bachelorette
As Jenn's season progressed, she stole everyone's hearts, and Bachelor Nation forgot all about how Daisy and Maria were rumored to be the producers' first choices to be the Bachelorette. However, during Jenn's one-on-one time with Sam McKinney on the radio show group date, Daisy and Maria once again came to the forefront.
"This girl is not my type. I thought the Bachelorette was gonna be Daisy or Maria."
When Jenn asked Sam what his first impression of her was, he answered, "It's a testament to this process that I almost didn't even come here." He added that, when he got out of the limousine, he thought, "This girl is not my type. I thought the Bachelorette was gonna be Daisy or Maria."
Sam's fellow Bachelorette contestants, who were watching the conversation from afar, had strong reactions to his comment, including The Bachelor season 29 star Grant Ellis, who said that it was weird. They also confronted him about it during the "Men Tell All," in which Sam said that Daisy and Maria weren't his type either.
What Did Jenn Say About Maria & Devin During The Bachelorette Season 21 Finale?
Devin Followed Maria On Instagram After He Broke Up With Jenn
During The Bachelorette season 21 "After the Final Rose" episode, Jenn told Devin that, as heartbroken as she was, she could try to understand somebody changing their mind about the way that they feel about somebody. However, she expressed that she couldn't understand everything that Devin did after he broke off their engagement. Jenn said that Devin had ended the engagement on a phone call, and the next day she woke up to him following girls on Instagram, "and not just any girl, but Maria."
Jenn added, "Not only is that so disrespectful to everything that we had shared together ... I just don't understand it ... Why you would do something like that. Cause it completely invalidated our entire relationship, everything that I had felt for you, everything that we'd felt for each other. Did that even mean anything to you?"
Devin said that it absolutely did, and it was really hard, but Jenn came back at him, sarcastically saying, "It was so hard, but you went and followed Maria on Instagram. So hard. You were going through such a tough time." Devin then said that he couldn't excuse the Instagram follow, and he knew how much that hurt Jenn. She responded, "So you did it to be cruel?" Devin said that he didn't, but he wasn't there to tell her that she couldn't feel the way she felt. He added that he'd obviously failed her, and that there was nothing that he could say other than that.
How Did Maria Respond To Jenn Mentioning Her Name During The Bachelorette Season 21 Finale?
Maria Said That She Had Nothing To Do With Jenn & Devin's Breakup
@georgasisboredPut it to REST.♬ original sound - Maria Georgas
After The Bachelorette season 21 "After the Final Rose" episode, during which Jenn brought up Devin following Maria on Instagram, Maria posted a TikTok video with the caption "Put it to REST," in which she addressed the controversy. Maria said that the video would include, "her truth and the frustration that comes with that." She continued, "Last night was hard to watch. And my heart goes out to Jenn because going through something like that is one thing, but then having to, like, rewatch and relive everything is a whole different ballgame. And I've been through it, and I get it, but not to that extent."
Maria added that she believed that a lot of the conversations that Jenn and Devin had should've been off-camera. However, she said that the only two people who can speak about the relationship are Jenn and Devin. Maria went on to say that she's constantly trying to move past a lot of the things that she's done in the franchise. She said, "I'm over coming to my defense for my character."
Maria said that she understood that Jenn brought up her name because she had to speak up about it. She said, "Say your piece, girlfriend. I respect it. I just think that without the full context, it leads people to believe a whole different narrative."
Maria then explained the situation with Devin. She said, "Yes, Devin followed me on Instagram. Guys, I don't pay attention to who follows me and who doesn't. I have no clue about that. Until people brought it to my attention, I didn't know. And, by that time, when I found out, he had unfollowed. Let me clear the air on something. I've never met Devin before. I never went clubbing out with him."
Maria went on to say, "I can't control who follows who. But what I can control is what I do about it. And what I'm doing is, not following back, and I never followed back. And now seeing how things transpired, I will never follow that man. And people knew that. So the fact that this whole thing has come out now, and the story has changed, is beyond me." Maria then insisted that she had "nothing to do with the ending of the relationship" between Jenn and Devin.
"I will never follow that man."
Maria added that her name being brought up during The Bachelorette season 21 finale "was a shock." She said that she'd heard that her name had been mentioned before on the show in the situation with Sam. Maria said that moments like that are why she can't be the Bachelorette because she wouldn't have handled a man bringing up another girl's name to her face "like a true Bachelorette" like Jenn did. She stated, "I hate that that happened to her. I hate that that was brought up to her face."
Maria continued, "My character, my innocence, my peace is important to me. And I will not f*** that up for no one. At the end of the day, I wish the best for everyone that I've known in my life."Maria said that she was just enjoying a family vacation, and she didn't need to be dragged into this situation. She also wants people to stop pitting women against each other.
Maria concluded her TikTok video by saying, "I'm trying to move forward from all of this, and I feel like I keep getting dragged in. The last thing I want to do is have this weird narrative where Jenn and I are against each other. Just because we've separated our ways, and we're no longer friends doesn't mean we hate each other, and doesn't mean that if someone's gonna disrepect her in my face that I'm gonna sit here and stand for it. 'Cause I'm not. I'm just a regular person who went on a reality TV show. Stop holding me to a standard that doesn't exist."
What Did Jenn Say About Maria & Devin After The Bachelorette Season 21 Finale?
Jenn Admitted That She Knew That Nothing Had Happened Between Maria & Devin
After Maria posted her video, Jenn spoke with People about why she called out Devin during the finale for following Maria on Instagram. She explained, "When I had mentioned her name on stage, I knew it was going to make this big splash, but for me it was important to highlight the ways in which Devin disrespected me." Jenn admitted, "It has nothing to do with Maria. I know that nothing happened."
The Bachelorette season 21's Jenn Tran couldn’t recognize Devin’s betrayal until it was too late. However, producers contributed to this ending.
Jenn added that that Maria is "a lot smarter than Devin," and she knew that Maria "wouldn't have done anything with it anyways. So I wasn't calling that out to basically speculate what's happening because I know that there was nothing happening. But it was the fact in which he had tried is what is disappointing to me." Although Jenn shared that Maria hadn't tried to contact her personally, she revealed that she'd watched Maria's TikTok video. She said, "Listen, I love the girl. I support her from afar, and I'm happy that we can be on good terms and that's all. It’s alright."
Jenn and Maria might have ended their friendship, but they still seem to love and support each other. Perhaps if they began to talk to each other instead of about each other, they could restart their friendship. It's good to hear that Maria has no intention of ever being involved with Devin. The Bachelorette season 21 was the most dramatic in the history of the show, but hopefully, Jenn, Devin, and Maria can all now move on from it.
