As fans are still reeling from Jenn Tran‘s dramatic finale of The Bachelorette, Us Weekly called in two experts — former Bachelorette Charity Lawson and Bachelor in Paradise alum Kat Izzo — to break down the fallout.
“I have no tolerance for men who act like that, who don’t even give just an ounce of empathy or respect,” Charity, 28, told Us during an exclusive interview with Kat, also 28, at our New York City studio on Friday, September 6, pegged to their upcoming podcast, “Tap In.”
“I don’t have full context and know everything in regards to their relationship — [but] honestly how that entire finale played out, I feel so sorry for Jenn and I just hope that she takes this time now to heal from that,” Charity continued. “Because that’s traumatizing. I had a great ending and my season was still traumatizing. The way that was played out was just wrong.”
Charity is referring to the show having Jenn and Devin Strader watch their engagement on the live finale, complete with reactions of Jenn sobbing and Devin showing no emotion. While there has been an outcry about whether that was necessary, Jenn told Us earlier this week that she was aware ABC was going to air the proposal, and she wanted Devin to have to watch it too.
Citing her own background as a therapist, Charity — who is still engaged to her final rose winner Dotun Olubeko — said she saw little moments of “gaslighting” and “manipulation” from Devin, noting he was “someone who we saw profess his love on national television every single week” prior to the finale. Acknowledging that it’s hard to have the full story because of editing, she believes Devin “showed it all” during the live finale.
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“How he sat on that couch, this girl was crying her eyes out [and] there’s not an ounce of comfort, there’s no empathy. So that was really hard for me, especially knowing that for me in my past, dealing with people who had similar characteristics — that was scary,” she said. “I’m like, ‘Is it ego? Is it pride? What is it?’”
Kat, for her part, couldn’t help but compare Devin to her Bachelor in Paradise ex John Henry.
“I experienced something almost identical to that, so it was emotional for my family and I to watch,” she said. “Broken up over the phone out of nowhere. Having to watch our engagement and be so confused because we had broken up, maybe, two weeks before the engagement aired. And I think that was kind of where they were at with their timeline too. And it just shows that men that are so unwilling to take the time to understand themselves, and their emotion comes off so unempathetic to the other partner — whether it’s intentional or not. Do the work so that way you’re not hurting people. Both of you guys have lived enough experience to have done the work.”
Kat noted that it’s a risk to go on the show, but wants the men on The Bachelorette to step up.
“They don’t know what they want. They talk out of their, you know, [behind]. And it’s at the expense of someone else’s feeling,” she continued. “So like I would say, ‘I’m done being your collateral damage,’ as she should be too. It’s what we sign up for, it’s a risk that we take. …. But gosh, it’s just getting worse and worse, like, men’s emotional availability.”
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In addition to calling out Devin for pulling away out of nowhere and ending things over the phone, Jenn explained that his post-split actions — including following Bachelor alum Maria Georgas, who many believed would be picked to be the season 21 lead, on Instagram — hurt her deeply.
“I know all the thoughts are going through her head. Like, ‘Did you even like me? Were you even here for it? Is this what you want all along?’ Those are all the intrusive thoughts that come out,” Kat told Us. “And it’s so valid because we’ve all experienced it in some way. Especially if it’s someone that he bluntly said he thought [would be the Bachelorette].”
Jenn also pointed out that Devin was clubbing with their costars, including Jeremy Simon, shortly after the breakup. Some fans believed Charity was out with Devin too, something she cleared up with Us.
“If you gonna come this way, absolutely come correct. I’ve never met that man!” Charity said. “Never went out with that man. They’re like, ‘Oh, Devin’s probably filming this TikTok.’ I’m like, ‘Make it make sense. The formula is incorrect.’”
The candid commentary on the Bachelorette finale and relationships in general are the type of conversations the two women plan to have on their upcoming podcast, “Tap In.”
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“There’s probably not gonna be anything that we’re gonna be quiet about these days,” Kat told Us, noting that how Jenn’s finale went down is “perfect timing” for the pair to start sharing their sides of the story. “Like, here is the example of what we’ve experienced and how it’s [gone down], not just in Bachelor world, but I think any female that’s within a public light.”
“I also bring to the table a unique perspective coming as a woman of color,” Charity, one of the five Black leads in Bachelor Nation, said. “And so seeing Jenn’s finale and just how this franchise and reality TV in general has not done the best job of supporting women of color, I think like Kat said is the perfect timing [to launch the show]. I definitely want to give my insight of my experiences and also use my voice to amplify and advocate for others who are falling behind me.”
Charity concluded, “I’ve been quiet long enough.”
Charity and Kat are set to start recording “Tap In” this month, tuning into their Instagram accounts for updates on when the first episode will drop.
