Jenn Tran and Maria Georgas grew fond of one another while competing for Joey Graziadei’s final rose during season 28 of The Bachelor. Although neither of them left the show with a Neil Lane diamond engagement ring, both women were offered something even bigger – the role of the Bachelorette.
After Jenn was announced as the next leading lady of Bachelor Nation, Maria publicly supported her. However, things got weird when the Canada native claimed that she was asked to be the Bachelorette before Jenn after fans inquired about the BTS details.
The drama rolled over to the finale of Jenn’s season 21 of The Bachelorette and now the girlies’ relationship is in the spotlight again – but what exactly went wrong in their friendship?
Maria Georgas Supported Jenn Tran as The Bachelorette
Before Jenn was announced as the Bachelorette during the The Bachelor season 28 After The Final Rose live show in March 2024, fans thought the role was going to either Maria or runner-up Daisy Kent.
Despite the logistics that occurred behind the scenes, Maria was thrilled to see Jenn embark on her leading journey to love.
“When I tell you how happy I am for her you best believe it. We were there for each other. Always,” Maria wrote via Instagram Stories at the time. “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!!!”
“When everyone around me was so supportive of me being in this position and everyone wanted this for me, I took a second. I’m like, ‘Why am I not happy? Why am I not excited about this?’” Maria reflected. ‘It took me realizing that it’s just not my time [and] I was like, ‘Respectfully, I need to decline. I need to take a step back.’”
Jenn Tran Slammed Maria Georgas’ Bachelorette Claims
While Maria was on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Jenn was filming her season of The Bachelorette. After filming wrapped, Jenn went on the same podcast on June 26, 2024, and told Alex that the previous “narratives” were “not necessarily the truth.”
“This show has been going on for years and years – 21 years of this show specifically – and every season there are multiple people in contention for the role,” the physician assistant said. “Multiple people are doing interviews or doing fittings or filming intro packages. And it’s never really you until it’s you. That’s why I was a little disappointed. The narratives out there aren’t exactly true.”
What Happened Between Maria Georgas and Devin Strader?
Jenn proposed to Devin Strader at the end of her season of The Bachelorette and the pair left the season engaged. Once the After the Final Rose live show aired on September 3, 2024, Jenn revealed that they broke up shortly after filming wrapped because Devin changed his mind and seemingly lost interest.
“Not only other girls, but Maria,” she told him. “Not only is that so disrespectful to anything we shared together, I just don’t understand why you would do something like that.”
Maria reacted to the jaw-dropping finale moment via Instagram Stories two days later.
“Just got back from a peaceful trip. This was not something I wanted to come back home to but I have some things to say [and] I won’t be holding back this time,” she wrote.
She followed up this post with a TikTok on September 5, 2024, where she made it clear she had never met Devin or followed him back on Instagram, insisting she had nothing to do with Jenn and Devin’s split.
“Yes, Devin followed me on Instagram,” Maria confirmed. “I don’t pay attention to who follows me and who doesn’t. I had no clue about that until people brought it to my attention. I didn’t know. By the time I found out, he had unfollowed.”
Devin commented on the situation in a lengthy Instagram video on September 11, 2024. After pointing out that he followed “a bunch” of Bachelor Nation people, he added, “It was still an ill-advised decision on my part. I shouldn’t be following people that I have no relationship with whatsoever. I don’t know Maria, I’ve never met Maria, I’ve never met up with Maria, and I will never follow Maria. I know I hurt Jenn now. I’m just here to apologize for that, so I am sorry.”
Meanwhile, Jenn said she never wanted to insinuate that she thought Maria was the reason for her breakup from Devin. “It was important to highlight the ways Devin disrespected me,” she explained. “It has nothing to do with Maria. I know that nothing happened.”
Are Jenn Tran and Maria Georgas Friends?
“The last thing I want to do is have this weird narrative where Jenn and I are against each other,” she said. “Just because we’ve separated our ways and are no longer friends, doesn’t mean we hate each other. And doesn’t mean that if someone’s gonna disrespect her in my face that I’m gonna sit here and stand for it. Because I’m not.”
When Jenn appeared on the September 12, 2024, episode of “The Viall Files,” she wouldn’t specify about what led to the falling out, but also had nothing but supportive words for Maria.
“I will support her from afar regardless of whatever events have transpired and that’s between me and her,” Jenn shared. “People just grow apart and that’s it. But I still support her and she still supports me and I’m happy we can do that. If I see her at an event, I’m gonna hug her and we’re gonna be great and pick up where we left off.”
