Revenge Dressing, A Broken Engagement and More Drama from The Bachelorette Finale, Explained
ABC, we're coming for you!!
The Jenn Tran Bachelorette finale may have finally delivered on the promise the show makes every season: giving viewers the most dramatic Bachelor finale yet. At the end of the latest season, Tran — the first Asian American lead in the franchise’s history — left the experience single and heartbroken, revealing that she chose — and got engaged to — contestant Devin Strader in Hawaii, only to have him unceremoniously dump her over the phone two months into their relationship. (This is giving us major Joe Jonas circa 2008 vibes).
It was a rough finale — and heartbreak — for Tran, whose been adamant about wanting to break past dating habits and find someone who treats her well; an experience she deserves but which, unfortunately, did not happen (we’re coming for you, ABC!). There’s *a lot* to unpack and delve into, thankfully we have you covered.
Everything you need to know about the Jenn Tran Bachelorette finale — and all the drama surrounding it — below.
Jenn Tran brought revenge dressing to a whole new level
First: the fashion. To say Jenn Tran looked stunning would be an understatement. For The Bachelorette finale, our heroine, who has been arguably one of the best-dressed leads in the show’s history, stepped out for the live taping of After The Final Rose in a sheer black dress with a halter neckline from Oséree. To complete the look, Tran accessorized with diamond drop earrings and (one would assume) waterproof mascara.
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Of course thedress is chic as heck on its own but as the night (and drama!) unfolded, it quickly became clear that the lead was dressing for revenge, channeling Princess Diana’s infamous 1994 “Revenge Dress” with her look. While the history of the revenge dress has a kind of complicated (and pretty sexist) history, modern day definitions describe them as a “fresh start;’ a look for right before or after a big change or tumultuous period in the person’s life. (Think Nicole Kidman the night before her divorce to Tom Cruise was announced, Florence Pugh during the Don’t Worry Darling press tour or Ariana Madix’s red gown at the Vanderpump Rules reunion after #Scandoval). It should send a message that says “don’t mess with me,” and be able to exude confidence and badass-ness, and that’s exactly what Tran’s dress does.
Devin broke up with The Bachelorette‘s Jenn over the phone
Tran’s season of The Bachelorette was a mess before the finale, with many of the men on her season focusing on everything but building their connection with the lead. Sam M, in particular, made a name for himself this season for refusing to “keep the main thing, the main thing” (his catchphrase), instead butting heads with other contestants like Devin Strader, who he thought was inauthentic and not ready for love.
And we hate to say it, but maybe Sam M was right (*shudder*). Throughout the season, Strader was portrayed as the goofy guy next-door, a Pete Davidson lookalike who would do anything for a laugh and bonded with Tran over their love for their mothers. He was a mama’s boy, for god sakes!!
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In the lead up to the Jenn Tran Bachelorette finale, it really felt like Strader was the partner who was all in. After confessing his love for Tran multiple times throughout the show, Strader was so heartsick over the possibility that Tran might not have been as in love with him as he was with her, that he contemplated leaving the show ahead of the finale.
However, he didn’t leave, and seemed initially thrilled with the engagement. But as Tan revealed during the ATFR, shortly after leaving the experience, Strader started to pull away and become inconsistent in his communication. As Tran told host Jesse Palmer during the ATFR: “He was making bold proclamations of love and then suddenly the next day he was like, nothing and he denied ever being in love. All the promises he had made to me, all of the love that he had wanted to give to me wasn’t there anymore.”
Tran then revealed that after she suggested calling off the engagement and pivot to just dating (as a way to ease any pressure around their relationship) Strader told her her didn’t want to “fight for the relationship anymore” and ended their relationship in a phone call.
Shortly after their break-up, Strader was spotted clubbing with previous The Bachelor contestants and following other girls from the franchise on social media. A.K.A men are literal dogs.
The Bachelorette producers screwed Jenn over
@katiebk91 #thebachelorette #bachelor #abcbachelor #bachelornation #bachelorfinale #realitytv #realityshow #fyp #foryou #foryoupage ♬ original sound – Katie
While Strader really and truly conned Tran, the real villain of this season has to be The Bachelorette producers and the franchise itself. Not only did they cast a bunch of duds for Tran’s season (during the airing of this season, multiple allegations of sexual assault came out against top two contender Marcus Shoberg), but they also completely humiliated her in the finale.
After coming face-to-face with her ex-fiancé, Tran was forced to re-live the proposal and engagement on-stage, in-front of a live studio audience, while seated beside the man who literally broke her heart. Tran was visibly (and understandably) upset, sobbing throughout the proposal. It was a cruel moment from the franchise, one that felt especially cruel given the fact that Tran is a woman of colour and the first Asian American lead.
Throughout her time as The Bachelorette, Tran has spoken extensively about not feeling worthy of love — a reality many BIPOC women can understand; to finally have an Asian American lead and then to not only see her have her heart broken, but also be humiliated on-screen, feels like a stab in the heart, and further messaging that BIPOC people aren’t deserving of love and respect.
After a brutal The Bachelorette finale, Jenn is going to be okay
But despite everything Tran has been put through, fans know she’s going to be okay. If anything, this painful ending has shown that she’s a strong, independent woman, and that will never change. Not to mention that fact that men should be overwhelming her DMs as we speak! Shortly after ATFR aired, it was announced that Tran is joining the upcoming season of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, meaning our fan favourite Bachelorette gets to become our fan fave ballroom dancer, and stay on our screens just a little bit longer.
