These Subtle Clues Predicted Jenn’s Bachelorette Casting Weeks Ago

Joey Graziadei’s Bachelor finale was somehow more shocking than Jesse Palmer’s “unprecedented” teasers hyped. Not only did it feature a franchise first in Daisy Kent and Kelsey Anderson’s rose ceremony carpool, but it also made Bachelor Nation history with the appointment of Jenn Tran as Bachelorette.

The 26-year-old physician assistant student will be the first Asian American woman to lead the show its 21 seasons — and it’s a milestone she doesn’t take lightly. “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’m inspiring, and how many lives I’m changing,” she said during The Bachelor finale.

Because of the timing of her elimination during Joey’s season, Jenn’s Bachelorette role was unexpected. As Suzana Somers (aka @bachelordata) on Instagram recently pointed out, only 16% of Bachelorette leads over the last 15 years were eliminated before Hometowns. (According to the data, it’s much more common for them to be from the final two or three women.)

But even so, a close rewatch of Joey’s season reveals there were clues about Jenn’s Bachelorette fate all along.

Jenn’s An Open Book

From her Week 3 one-on-one date with Joey, Jenn proved to be an open book, being just as game to try new things, like surfing, as she is to candidly discuss how her upbringing negatively affected her ideas about love and self-worth.

Later, she’d become a playful part of Joey’s season — from teasing him about his toes in Malta, to managing to make poutine flirty in Montreal. There were signs that she had the transparent, fun-loving personality needed for a good Bachelorette season.

There’s Bachelorette Precedent

Speaking of a fun-loving personality... Jenn has something in common with beloved Bachelorette Hannah Brown. Both women left during Week 7 of their respective Bachelor seasons. Even though it’s not typical, it’s also not unheard of for an early-eliminated contestant to get cast as the lead.

Her Social Media Followers

Jenn’s social media following grew during her time on The Bachelor. According to @bachelordata, she had the fourth-highest Instagram following as of her Week 7 exit. While there’s (probably) no producer formula to picking the next Bachelorette, an impressive following certainly can’t hurt.

Screen Time Stats

Another telling stat from @bachelordata is the amount of screen time Jenn received during her turn on the show. According to the analyst, Jenn had the third-most screen time of all Joey’s contestants at the time of her elimination in Week 7 — the same ranking as previous Bachelorettes Charity Lawson and Katie Thurston before Hometowns in their respective seasons.

Looking back, Jenn’s share of screen time could have been a sign that producers were especially interested in following her storyline.

Her Exit Quote

Sadly, neither Jenn nor Kelsey Toussant got a meaningful goodbye from Joey upon their exits in Jasper, Alberta. However, Jenn’s parting words for viewers definitely had a Bachelorette ring to them. “I know what I have to offer,” she said. “I know the amazing woman that I am, and I know that somebody else will be more than happy to be my person. I just hope that I find someone as special as him one day.”

Those Women Tell All Comments

The Bachelorette vibes continued at Joey’s Women Tell All special, where Jenn had a substantial hot-seat conversation about her time with Joey, her family, and her next steps. “I just have a new sense of hope,” she told Jesse. “So honestly, I’m really excited and I feel more than ever ready to find my person. I know what I deserve. I know I want an undeniably ruthless love. And, I deserve 110% of it to be reciprocated. And that’s what I want.”

“We’re really so excited for you to find your person,” Jesse replied. Looking back, this was a very telling exchange!

A Style Clue?

Another clue about Jenn’s Bachelorette fate might have been hiding in her wardrobe, according to viewers on social media. Redditor u/marinezareen16 theorized, for example, that Jenn’s Women Tell All look was put together by Bachelor Nation stylist Cary Fetman, which could mean Jenn was “in talks” or “signed a contract for the lead role.”

Others picked up on the cost of Jenn’s dress which, according to @the_style_spotter on Instagram, was one of the pricier ensembles of the evening, perhaps suggesting that there was a special reason to go full glam.