Is reality TV genuinely here for “the right reasons”?

This question lingers in the minds of fans following the latest heartbreak experienced by a lead on “The Bachelorette,” the popular female-focused spin-off of ABC’s “Bachelor” franchise. It’s a story that feels all too familiar: a woman’s quest for romance with a male contestant, who’s claimed to be there for genuine reasons, ends in a complete fiasco.

In the most recent episode, Jenn Tran appeared on the “After the Final Rose” stage with host Jesse Palmer, visibly distressed as she recounted her experiences to a live audience. Viewers witnessed her emotional turmoil when her final selection, Devin Strader, ended their engagement during a phone call just fifteen minutes long last month while the season was still airing.

It marked a disappointing conclusion for the show’s first Asian American lead and the first woman to propose to her chosen partner.

Watching women face emotional devastation for entertainment during Monday night shows has turned into a cultural phenomenon, similar to tuning into Monday Night Football. So why do we keep letting them down on reality TV?

Few Couples from ‘The Bachelorette’ Last

The reality is that “Bachelorette” and “Bachelor” seasons seldom conclude with a happy ending.

In fact, only three out of the last fourteen couples from “Bachelorette” are still together: JoJo Fletcher, who married former football analyst Jordan Rodgers, and Charity Lawson from last season, who chose Dotun Olubeko.

Fletcher and Rodgers, who is also the brother of NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers, got engaged in 2016 during Season 12 and married in 2022 in Santa Ynez, California. Lawson and Olubeko have plans to tie the knot in 2025.

Looking back, Season 9 lead Desiree Hartsock Siegfried remains happily married to Chris Siegfried, whom she met and got engaged to during her season. They got married in 2015 and are now parents to two children, with a third on the way.

Every season finale claims to be the most dramatic ever—yet many conclude in similar fashion.

In a memorable moment from 2018 on “The Bachelor,” race car driver Arie Luyendyk ended his engagement with Becca Kufrin on live television only to pursue his runner-up, Lauren Burnham. The couple married the following year in Hawaii and are now raising three children together.

Kufrin also found happiness and married Thomas Jacobs in 2023, who faced backlash while being a contestant on Katie Thurston’s season of “Bachelorette,” before meeting Kufrin on “Bachelor in Paradise.” They welcomed a baby boy in September.

Then it happened again.

One of the most unforgettable seasons featured former Miss Alabama Hannah Brown in 2019, who made headlines when her season concluded tragically after her final choice, singer Jed Wyatt, was accused of still being in a serious relationship before entering the reality show.

There were claims he intended to reconnect with his ex after filming. This led to a tense confrontation on “After The Final Rose.”

In July, Wyatt married fitness coach Ellen Decker, while Brown became engaged to Adam Woolard, who is outside the reality TV world, in August 2023.

And now, we have the latest heartbreak in Bachelor Nation: Jenn.

Public Backlash Against ‘Bachelorette’ Producers for Exposing Jenn Tran’s Pain

After the season finale aired, many social media users criticized the producers for showcasing Jenn Tran’s distress in such a public manner.

“It’s not entertainment to watch someone suffer to the point of gasping for air,” one social media user wrote in a note and shared a screenshot on X. “It’s cruel and disrespectful for producers to make her rewatch the worst day of her life in front of a live audience next to the person who caused her pain.”

One user expressed, “The entire franchise should be canceled for putting her through this . how can you make her watch the proposal after such an intense discussion?”

Ben Higgins, a star from Season 20 of “The Bachelor,” also voiced his discontent with production for causing Tran distress. “Jenn should have stood up during the proposal and just walked out,” he mentioned. “It’s incredibly cruel and unnecessary to force her to relive that moment. I can’t believe it.”

So again, we ask: Is reality TV here for ‘the right reasons’?

At 26, the same age as Tran, life feels like a mix of permanence and transience. You feel perpetually young while simultaneously sensing a ticking clock, especially regarding love.

Your heart can break. By a partner, by those in positions of authority, by someone you believed would be around forever, or by someone (like Devin) who admits: “I let you down, but my feelings for you were genuine.”

Many of us have encountered such painful moments. But most of us don’t have to confront the person who hurt us in front of the entire world. We usually reserve our tears for private moments, far from the eyes of millions watching from their homes.

It’s deemed “part of the role.” But when does it cross the line into being too real? And why is it that “The Bachelorette” often reserves these intense moments for women?

Tran’s narrative isn’t finished. Like numerous alumni from the “Bachelor” franchise, she will join her former boyfriend, “Bachelor” Joey Graziadei, on “Dancing with the Stars” Season 33.

Hopefully, this time her journey will conclude with a happy ending.

Contributors: Kinsey Crowley, KiMi Robinson