Jenn Tran is addressing critics of her Bachelorette casting. On the latest episode of Spotify's Call Her Daddy podcast, the show's season 21 lead reacted to speculation that she was a last-minute pick after Daisy Kent and Maria Georgas, who competed on Joey Graziadei's season of The Bachelor alongside Jenn, turned down the role.
"Obviously, I was really disappointed to see all of that, because the truth of the matter is there's a lot of narratives out there and they're not necessarily the truth," Jenn said. "The show has been going on for years and years, 21 years of this show specifically, and every season there are multiple people in contention for the role. Multiple people are being interviewed or doing meetings about it all, doing fittings or filming intro packages. It's never really you until it's you. That's why I was a little disappointed."
The undercurrent of some fans' disappointment was steeped in racism, as Jenn is the show's first-ever Asian American lead.
"There's no running around it. I came back from filming and there was a lot of people wanting somebody else or wishing that I was American," Jenn said. "There's a lot of racism around it too. There's just a lot of people who want to have input on it and and wish that it was somebody else and whatnot. I think that you just can't win."
Seeing the racist comments made Jenn feel "validated" in her belief that there needs to be change.
"I lived my whole life having some people telling me racism doesn't exist. Like, Asians don't have to deal with it. Like, you're the better minority. Nobody cares," she said. "To have these things about me said online, particularly about my race, it just validates the fact that there is so much hate in people's hearts still. It's still such a prevalent thing in this day. I'm happy to take on the brunt of it if it means that I'm making a change for people that are going to come after me."
Jenn Tran appears in key art for season 21 of 'The Bachelorette.'
The show's executive producers aren't blind to the racism that's prevalent in the franchise. The same day Jenn's podcast interview was released, Claire Freeland and Bennett Graebner spoke to The Los Angeles Times about how they're trying to improve for Jenn's journey and the seasons ahead.
"The core value to this show is that everybody deserves to find love, regardless of race, ethnicity, background, faith," Claire said. "The only way we can do that in a truly fulsome way is to have people on the show that reflect the country we live in."
With that in mind, more than half of the men vying for Jenn's heart come from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds. However diverse the men, the lack of Asian American suitors is of concern to many.
"That's on us. We didn't do what we needed to do,” Bennett said. "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."
As for those within Bachelor Nation who are hesitant to accept the forthcoming changes, Bennett said, "If you don't want to see a Black love story, an Asian American love story, an interracial love story, then maybe Bachelor Nation isn't for you."
Jenn Tran appears in key art for season 21 of 'The Bachelorette.'
Knowing about all of the swirling opinions of her season, Jenn said she's excited to prove the naysayers wrong.
"I know how amazing it's going to be. I know what a journey it was for me and I'm so excited," she said on Call Her Daddy. "... This is my time and this is my journey. That's what I want it to be focused on... I'm so happy about it and I'm so happy for everyone to finally see that."
While she said her season won't be without drama, she's content with how it all turned out.
"I think that the way everything played out was exactly the way that it was supposed to. The ending was the right ending for me," she said. "... I don't think that I knew how it was going to end. You go into it thinking that it's going to be a certain way. I think that I really surprised myself in the end. So I'm happy. But yeah, I think people will be shocked for sure."
In an interview with ET ahead of her journey, Jenn shared what fans can expect from her season.
"I don't really have a game plan," she said. "... I'm really just gonna be my freaking self and that means all the good, the bad, and the chaotic, and the psychotic. That's really what you're gonna have to look forward to."
Jenn's journey for love will kick off July 8 when season 21 of The Bachelorette premieres on ABC.
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