Maria Georgas is thrilled for Jenn Tran to be the next Bachelorette.
Maria, 29, supported Jenn’s upcoming journey to find love following the season 28 Bachelor finale. “Couldn’t be happier ❤️,” Maria captioned an Instagram Story of the two women on Tuesday, March 26. In the clip, Maria donned a kissy face while Jenn, 26, pursed her lips into a soft smile.
In second Instagram story, Maria gushed over their friendship. “When I tell you how happy I am for her you best believe it. We were there for each other. Always,” she captioned a clip of the two holding hands at a rose ceremony. “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!!!”
During ABC’s After the Final Rose, which aired on Monday, March 25, Maria spoke directly to Jenn from the crowd after she was announced as the next Bachelorette.
Fans were surprised when Jenn was announced as the next Bachelorette, as they were expecting Maria or Joey Graziadei’s runner-up Daisy Kent to lead the 2024 season.
“They had Maria right there and announced that it’s Jenn as the next Bachelorette?!” one fan wrote via X, while another added, “I’m so excited for Jenn but it’s super obvious that they did pick Daisy but she backed out.”
Jenn was sent home ahead of the show’s hometown dates, which aired earlier this month. She makes history for the show as the first Asian Bachelorette.
“It’s honestly incredible and I feel so, so grateful and so honored to be the first Asian Bachelorette in this franchise,” Jenn said while speaking to host Jesse Palmer. “Growing up, I’ve always wanted to see Asian representation on TV. I feel like it was really sparse. Anytime Asians were in the media it was to fill a supporting character role, to fulfill 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.”
Before taking a shot with the audience, she gushed that she’s looking forward to finding her person. “I’m looking for someone who has a really big personality. I’m all about having fun, all about having that cheeky banter,” she said.
Daisy, 25, was also open about turning down the Bachelorette lead during Monday night’s episode. “My life, the last year, has been crazy. I mean, yesterday, it’s weird, it was the one year of me getting my cochlear implant, which completely changed my life,” she said while referencing her hearing loss amid her Lyme disease diagnosis. “I went through this and as great of an experience it was, it was also really, really hard. I’m healthy and I’m happy. 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. And so right now, no, I’m not ready. And that’s OK. And I’m really proud of myself for realizing that.”
After Daisy and Joey, 28, said their goodbyes, he proposed to Kelsey Anderson with a four carat emerald cut ring. The duo made their first public appearance on Monday’s episode, and shared they’re planning to move to New York together in the summer.
Jenn’s season of The Bachelorette will start airing in July.
