ABC
Jenn Tran, the fan favorite who got Joey Graziadei’s heart racing on "The Bachelor" this season, is ready to make her own mark on TV history as the first Asian-American Bachelorette.
Only “Extra’s” Megan Ryte was with Jenn after the big announcement.
Saying her family is supportive and excited, Tran explained, “For me, growing up, I never really saw Asian representation on TV very often... I actually called my little cousin and told her I’m going to be the first Asian Bachelorette and she was, like, sobbing, inconsolably crying. I was like, ‘I don’t know if you are happy or sad,’ and she was like, ‘No, no, no, I'm really, really happy.’”
She continued, "That was the moment when it really hit me... I'm inspiring a lot of young women around the world… It’s a lot of people who maybe feel like they haven't seen themselves on TV yet, and they just want to see be able to see themselves in that main character kind of role. Now, my cousin and other women can be like, ‘You know what? I can do anything that I want to do.’ That to me is just so incredibly humbling, and I feel so honored.”
The 26-year-old made it to Joey's top six. Not getting that final rose didn't crush her spirit — Jenn is ready to start her journey to find love.
Tran said, “I'm the most confident I've ever been. I'm just the most myself than I've ever felt and the most ready to find love that I've ever really felt. I worked through a lot of toxic relationships where I really do feel like I'm ready to find my partner. I know what I want, and I know what I don't want. I feel like that's the biggest thing that's prepared me for this position.”
She added, “Every relationship I've ever had I don't have regrets about, because I think every relationship that didn't work out leads you to find your person and you learn something from it. That's just kind of my motto is to not have regrets."
Megan asked, “Do you believe that you will find love on this show?”
Jenn insisted, “Absolutely, and I wouldn't be here if I genuinely didn't. I think the process is accelerated, but it pushes people to really open up. I definitely saw that in myself. In previous relationships, I really shied away from opening up and being vulnerable and talking about the things I had gone through and my insecurities. I think once you're able to do that, you really do feel closer to the person that you're dating."
What is she looking for in a partner?
“I always say just some cheeky, cheeky banter,” Jenn said. “I love when someone can really just mess with me, but also be sweet. I love that kind of relationship where you're just kind of bantering and making fun of each other, but at the end of the day, you're also there for each other."
She added, "I feel like humor is what makes a relationship really last. I am looking for a life partner, and so when the lust fades, when the physical attraction fades, you at least still have a really good friendship."
Megan asked, “Biggest turnoffs?”
Tran shared, “Chewing with your mouth open. Ugh. Literally, I can't."
The physician's assistant already knows how she will present herself on the show.
She said, “I'm just going to be myself and see what happens. Obviously, if somebody gives me sh*t and does something crazy, I'm going to put them in their place and they're going home... Just like I would be in the real world in any relationship if somebody was to give me a red flag. I'd be like, 'You gotta go.' So that's how I'm gonna tackle the problems is head-on and whenever they come."
As for what she's looking forward to, Jenn shared, "I'm very, very excited to just begin my journey. Obviously, the ending is gonna be really exciting too, but I'm just so excited to meet these men and potentially, you know, see who's gonna stand out to me and then see how my mind might change later on or how the strongest connection in the beginning might just really last the whole time."
What is she most scared of? She said, "Definitely just opening up my heart to someone who maybe at the end of the day isn't there for me or isn't looking for something long-term."
Jenn's journey on "The Bachelorette" begins this July on ABC.
