Get to know the new Bachelorette Jenn Tran. Plus, did Maria and Daisy turn it down?

“The Bachelor” franchise finally has an Asian American lead in Jenn Tran. She'll head the cast of the upcoming "Bachelorette" season.

After appearing in Season 28 of "The Bachelor" as a part of Joey’s final six women, Jenn will take her own journey to find love in Season 21 of “The Bachelorette.”

This decision has been met with a lot of unnecessary hate from fans who have begun flooding the comments of @bachelorabc, @bacheloretteabc and Jenn’s personal Instagram @jenntranx. @bachelornation even had to reshare a post condemning racism, bullying and hate comments which would be deleted on their accounts.

Others are more appreciative and excited for a season with not just an ethnically diverse lead but one who is “sweet” and “beautiful.”

There seems to be a split between viewers who are upset to not see their favorite on the small screen for a few more weeks and others who are excited to see Jenn take on the role.

Here’s what we know about the newest lead of “The Bachelorette” and others who may have possibly turned down the role.

How old is Jenn from ‘The Bachelor’?

Jenn Tran is 26 years old and was 25 when Season 28 of “The Bachelor” was filming.

What is Jenn Tran from ‘The Bachelor’s’ ethnicity?

Jenn is the franchise’s first Asian lead, she’s Vietnamese American and is bilingual.

In an interview with Good Morning America, Jenn was asked how important it is to her making history as the first Asian American “Bachelorette.”

“It’s so incredibly important,” Tran said. “I’m inspiring a generation of young women, Asian women, who maybe didn’t see themselves as the main character, didn’t see themselves being able to find love and now I’m able to represent that.”

"Bachelor" Season 28 contestant Jenn Tran poses at the show's finale on March 25, 2024, after her announcement as "The Bachelorette" Season 21 lead.
"Bachelor" Season 28 contestant Jenn Tran poses at the show's finale on March 25, 2024, after her announcement as "The Bachelorette" Season 21 lead.

When asked a similar question by host Jesse Palmer during the Season 28 “Finale and After the Final Rose” Jenn said she’s so grateful and honored to be the first Asian “Bachelorette.”

“Growing up I always wanted to see Asian representation on TV and I feel like it was really sparse,” Tran said. “Any time Asians were in the media it was to fill a supporting character role, to fill some sort of stereotype and I always felt boxed in by that because I was like ‘I don’t see myself on screen I don’t see myself as a main character.’

"And now to be here today sitting in this position being like, I am going to lead my own love story, I am going to be the main character in my story. I just can’t help but think of how many people I am inspiring and how many lives I am changing.”

Did Daisy turn down ‘The Bachelorette’?

Toward the end of “The Bachelor” finale, Daisy Kent was brought back on stage when Jesse brought up the possibility of her being the next “Bachelorette.”

“I think what everybody wants to know now then is what’s next for you,” Palmer said. “Are you ready to open up again and date again and find your person?”

Daisy said that her life in the last year has been crazy. Just the other day was the first anniversary of her getting her cochlear implant to improve her hearing, which completely changed her life. She also went on “The Bachelor” which she said even though it was a great experience, it was “really really hard.”

“I’m healthy and I'm happy and I haven’t had those two things in a really long time and so right now I know it’s a time for me to focus on the things I love and the people I love,” Kent said. “And so right now no, I'm not ready and that’s OK and I’m really proud of myself for realizing that.”

Why is Maria not ‘The Bachelorette’?

Not only was there a lot of speculation from Reality Steve that the choice for the next Bachelorette was between Daisy and Maria, but the two were also big fan favorites.

In the Reddit group r/BachelorNation user @Hot_Blacksmith6359 made a post mentioning how although they wanted Maria as the next “Bachelorette” they are still happy for Jenn and think she will make an incredible lead.

In a since-deleted comment in that thread by @Ancient-_Use_8156 they sent a DM to Maria’s friend and fellow contestant on Season 28, Lauren Hollinger, on Instagram.

In the DM, they expressed their disappointment in Maria and Lauren not being the next lead but said they were happy for Jenn. To which Lauren replied “she turned it down” and “but still happy for Jenn.”

Following the “Women Tell All” episode of Season 28, Maria told TheWrap that becoming the next “Bachelorette” would be “an opportunity of a lifetime.”

“I would be stupid to turn it down,” she said. “It’s not something that I was thinking about doing — I never even thought I would even get the chance.”

So whether Maria actually turned down the opportunity to be the next “Bachelorette” and or she was never asked by ABC and “Bachelor” producers to star as the lead, remains unclear.

One thing is for sure, Maria supports Jenn as the next lead. This was not only made clear in the “Finale and After the Final Rose” but the Canadian also shared an Instagram story with Jenn last night captioning it “Couldn’t be happier.”

On Tuesday morning, alongside a video of the two girls saying “I love you” during a rose ceremony in Season 28, Maria wrote, “When I tell you how happy I am for her you best believe it. We were there for each other. Always.”

“So I’ll be cheering her on every step of the way. She deserves this moment and it’s HERS. The representation alone is doing so many little girls proud who can look up and see a beautiful Asian woman bless our screens. You go Jenn!!! Go get your man!!!”

Who is the next ‘Bachelorette’ Jenn Tran?

Jenn Tran speaks with Jesse Palmer in "The Bachelor" Season 28's "Women Tell All," airing March 18, 2024.
Jenn Tran speaks with Jesse Palmer in "The Bachelor" Season 28's "Women Tell All," airing March 18, 2024.

Jenn is studying to become a physician assistant. She's from New Jersey and currently lives in Miami.

According to a press release from ABC, Jenn loves reading, paddleboarding and traveling.

It also says she is a “sweet and compassionate woman who has dedicated her life to helping others.”

On Season 28, Episode 3 of “The Bachelor” Jenn shared a bit about how difficult her family life has been with her father sleeping in their basement for six years because of constant fighting with her mother.

Jenn told Joey that she believed she was never going to be loved or find anyone because of the way she grew up with her family. She felt unwanted by her father and no longer has a relationship with him.

During the “Women Tell All” episode, Jenn shared that doing the show may have brought her and her mother closer.

She said in Asian cultures, it’s common to live with your parents until you’re married and even after, so it was difficult for her mother to see her as a full adult. Now after watching her grow and fall in love on TV, her mother is starting to see her as her own person.

"She is the woman I want to be when I grow up," Jenn said about her mother. "She came here from Vietnam, and she left medical school to give my brother and I a better life and when my dad left, she took on the role of two parents and never complained once."

What is Jenn looking for on her season of ‘The Bachelorette’?

Jenn is looking for someone with a really big personality, who has cheeky banter, can take it as much as they dish it.

She hopes to be engaged by the end of the journey but also wants to find her person someone she feels is “100% my perfect match.”

What she’d like to say to the men on her season is that the experience is crazy and all she can hope is for them to “open up their heart to this.” Because that’s what she did, and even though it did not work out, she said got so much out of it and in the end she grew and learned.

What we know: How does the 'Bachelorette' get chosen? Who is the lead of Season 21?

When does the next ‘Bachelorette’ start?

Filming for Season 21 of “The Bachelorette” might start tonight or sometime this week, according to Reality Steve.

ABC said in the press release that Jenn’s season of “The Bachelorette” would air this summer.

Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow @dina_kaur on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jenn is the new Bachelorette. What happened to Maria and Daisy?