Before season 21 of “The Bachelorette” aired, star Jenn Tran promised that her finale would have plenty of twists and turns.
“It’s adventurous, emotional, and very surprising,” she told Business Insider ahead of the season 21 premiere.
“Of course, there’s going to be some crying, some dramatic moments. And it’s adventurous because I was really pushed outside my comfort zone,” she added.
Those quotes proved to be more prescient than even Jenn knew when the live finale of “The Bachelorette” aired Tuesday night. Though the first Asian Bachelorette had teased that her season featured her doing something that had never been done before in the show’s history — which turned out to be her proposing to her final pick, Devin Strader — that historic first was quickly overshadowed by the raw heartbreak that unfolded onstage when Jenn revealed in front of a live audience that the two had broken off their engagement a month prior.
Jenn’s proposal to Devin was a historic first
The original twist ending to Jenn’s season was heavily referenced in a teaser from the season, with Jenn telling host Jesse Palmer, “I’m done letting men dictate my relationships.”
“No Bachelorette has ever done this before,” Palmer says. “You sure you want to do this?”
While the teaser seemed to suggest Jenn would choose to end her journey alone, that proved to be a fake-out; instead, she took Devin by surprise when she beat him to the punch and proposed to him first.
“I love you so deeply, Devin. But, I can’t let you propose to me,” Jenn began. “I decided to chose myself in this journey. And, the best version of myself is when I’m with you. I’m strong on my own, but I know that we’re stronger together.”
“Devin, I want to fight for you every day,” she continued. “I want to help carry your burdens. I want to put a smile on your face, and honestly, I just don’t want to live without you. You’re everything I’ve ever dreamed of but didn’t know that I could have. I want to wake up and chose you every day for the rest of my life, today and every day. Baby, I want to grow old with you.”
With that, she presented a ring to Devin. Afterwards, he got down on one knee and proposed to Jenn as well, showcasing the obligatory Neil Lane ring.
Happily ever after, right? Wrong.
Her initial happy ending was overshadowed by heartbreak when Jenn revealed she and Devin had broken up
The format of “The Bachelorette” live finale made things particularly awkward for its star. Before Jenn’s proposal scene was shown, host Jesse Palmer invited the Bachelorette onstage to explain where her relationship stands today.
Jenn revealed that after getting engaged in Hawaii, Devin broke off the relationship mere months later in a 15-minute phone call in August.
“He basically said that he didn’t love me anymore and didn’t feel the same way,” Jenn said, adding that Devin told her he never wanted to be engaged and refused to go to couples counseling. Days later, instead of mourning a broken engagement, Jenn said he began following former “Bachelor” contestant (and almost-Bachelorette) Maria Georgas on Instagram, and went clubbing with fellow contestant Jeremy.
Devin, for his part, was lightly apologetic and didn’t deny Jenn’s claims. “Obviously, I failed you, and there’s nothing I can say other than that,” he said when he was brought onstage to face his ex-fiancée. “Everything I felt for you was real.”
Forcing Jenn and Devin to rewatch their proposal scene in front of a live audience angered fans
It was only after the show’s star couple had officially imploded onstage that the show decided it was time to show the footage of their historic, happy moment from the distant past.
After apologizing on behalf of the show and fans that her journey didn’t conclude with the happy ending she’d hoped for, Palmer praised Jenn for the strength she showed in her proposal, adding that no one could take that historic moment away from her.
“I know you haven’t seen it yet. What do you think? Should we all watch it together?” Palmer asked.
“Do I have a choice?” Jenn replied through sobs.
Fans and fellow members of Bachelor Nation were vocal in their disappointment in ABC’s treatment of its star during the finale, with many criticizing the decision to force Jenn to rewatch the proposal live onstage while sitting next to her ex-fiancé.
“Jenn should have gotten up in the middle of proposal showing and gave everyone the peace sign. Walk out of that studio and never turned back,” former Bachelor Ben Higgins wrote on X. “Absolutely cruel and unnecessary to make her watch that back. Cannot believe it.”
Jenn should have gotten up in the middle of proposal showing and gave everyone the peace sign. Walk out of that studio and never turned back. Absolutely cruel and unnecessary to make her watch that back. Cannot believe it #TheBachelorette
— Benjamin Higgins (@benhiggi) September 4, 2024
“im not rocking with the fact that abc hyped up the first asian american bachelorette, sharing she’s making history and breaking barrier, just to straight up humiliate her like this in the end,” one fan with the username @realitytvyapper wrote on X.
The showing was particularly dismaying given Jenn’s status as the first Asian-American Bachelorette. The franchise has a complicated history with race, one that it’s only begun to take steps to evolve on after featuring its first handful of leads of color. Jenn’s unhappy ending, then, also adds to the franchise’s uncomfortable track record in failing to protect its nonwhite leads (see: the Matt James / Rachael Kirkconnell controversy, Rachel Lindsay’s season).
“Tonight is extra frustrating bc the head producers JUST did a big interview with the LA Times about how they’re committed ot protecting their leads of colour and owning up to past failures. They did not protect Jenn tonight or during casting,” @bach_rants wrote on X.
Jenn, for her part, left the finale with her head held as high as she could muster.
“I do not regret proposing to that man on there,” she said, referencing the Devin who appeared onscreen during their proposal. “That man doesn’t exist anymore, and the truth of the matter is, I’m still that same woman I am.”
At least she’ll be keeping busy in the near future with “Dancing With the Stars.“
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