“Her turn.” “Her choice.” “Her journey.” “Her moment.”

These were the phrases used by ABC to promote Jenn Tran’s season of “The Bachelorette,” which premiered on July 8 and concluded with a disastrous finale on Tuesday night. Despite the initial promises of “The power is in her hands” in promotional materials, the show lost credibility with its treatment of Tran during the live finale.

Reality TV has a reputation for creating drama at the contestants’ expense, but Tran, a 26-year-old student studying to be a physician assistant, faced unprecedented negativity this season.

During the live finale, Jenn was visibly distressed, struggling to breathe as she fought back tears while sitting on a couch in front of a studio audience.

Next to her was Devin Strader, her final choice, who had broken her heart by claiming he had “never been in love” and ended their engagement over a 15-minute phone call.

She then had to endure a replay of her painful proposal while cameras zoomed in on her tear-streaked face and showed Strader appearing unfazed for a full minute.

How is this empowering for Tran, the franchise’s first Asian American lead, or for Asian American women watching?

The promised power for ‘The Bachelorette’ was absent

After discussing the end of their short engagement, host Jesse Palmer tried to transition to footage of what should have been the “happiest day” of Tran’s life, now marred by their contentious breakup.

It was clear that Tran did not wish to revisit those moments.

However, the control she supposedly had as the “Bachelorette” seemed to return to the producers, editors, and camera operators, who appeared eager to showcase her heartache to the audience.

This treatment starkly contrasted with the consideration shown to the previous bachelor, Joey Graziadei, who remains engaged to his final choice, Kelsey Anderson. During his finale in March, he was not left to face live cameras capturing his reactions, even after his runner-up, Daisy Kent, rejected him at the proposal.

In that finale, the show actively promoted the theme of female empowerment, featuring Anderson and Kent supporting each other as they were taken to where Graziadei would propose. They were also given a moment to express how they maintained their friendship despite the competition.

Unfortunately, this kind of progress was lacking just five months later.

As reactions on social media indicate dissatisfaction with the way the finale unfolded, many fans have voiced their concerns over Tran’s emotional distress being exploited for entertainment purposes. The earlier hope for a major network to uplift an Asian American woman’s narrative has significantly diminished.

‘Do I have a choice?’ highlights a new low in ‘Bachelorette’ history

As the segment shifted to footage of Tran and Strader’s engagement, the show attempted to make it easier for her to endure what would likely be painful to watch.

“You weren’t afraid to speak your mind or pursue what you wanted. You did that throughout your journey, including with a historic proposal,” Palmer stated. “I know you haven’t seen it yet. Should we all watch it together?”

After a moment of silence, Tran expressed frustration through laughter, saying, “Do I have a choice?”

These words do not reflect the stance of an empowered participant.

In reality, the program appeared to disregard the desires of someone they had framed as “the lead in my own love story.”

For nearly a minute, viewers watched a split-screen of Tran and Strader’s engagement, showing Tran propose first — a groundbreaking moment for the series — before Strader reciprocated.

As Tran faced the moment, tears streamed down her cheeks, and she struggled to contain her sobs.

Viewers found the editing choice intrusive, especially since it seemed Tran had not agreed to the airing of this footage. (However, Tran later explained in interviews that she was aware the proposal would be broadcast.)

To address any concerns about the invasive nature of the footage, Palmer reassured viewers of Tran’s strength.

“I can’t fathom how tough it is to watch that again,” he commented. “But Jenn, my hope is that when you see it, you feel a touch of empowerment because you truly did things on your terms.”

Asian American women have often been sidelined in American pop culture

Tran’s season brought hope for better representation of Asian Americans in media. Sadly, just before reaching a satisfying conclusion, it felt as though “The Bachelorette” stripped Tran of her autonomy and failed to respect her during a moment of vulnerability.

When Tran was introduced as the first Asian American female lead in the franchise’s 22-year history, sociologist Nancy Wang Yuen, author of “Reel Inequality: Hollywood Actors and Racism,” expressed hope for enhanced representation.

“It’s truly refreshing to see an Asian woman leading her own romantic narrative,” Yuen remarked to YSL News in June. “She’s portrayed as the subject, not merely the object — a stark contrast to how Asian women have typically been depicted in Western pop culture.”

On the show, Tran spoke about the absence of representation she experienced in films and television during her upbringing. Often encountering Asian Americans in side roles contributed to her feeling like she could never be “the leading character.”

In the lead-up to the finale, Tran felt that taking on the role of Bachelorette allowed her to overcome her feelings of being an imposter.

Speaking with YSL News almost two weeks prior to her season launch, Tran — who was still engaged to Strader at that time — shared, “I was amazed by how much I discovered about myself.”

“I truly learned to advocate for myself and to stand up for what is right, what I desire, and what I need,” she added.

Despite ending her season with heartbreak, Jenn Tran recognizes her value

Fortunately, the aspiring physician assistant appears to maintain her newfound confidence, even after experiencing heartbreak on national television.

In the days following her finale, Tran has used her social media, including Instagram and TikTok, to humorously address her heartbreak while gearing up for her appearance on the next season of “Dancing with the Stars.”

“I embarked on this journey seeking my one true love and unexpectedly discovered boundless support from Bachelor Nation and beyond,” she wrote in an extensive Instagram message.

“I am still in the process of healing. It has been challenging to come to terms with the past few months, and it will take time for me to completely understand my feelings at this moment.”