"Do I have a choice?" Jenn Tran asked during the live finale of "The Bachelorette."
Heartbreak is one thing, but dissecting it on TV for entertainment is another.
During the September 3 live finale of *The Bachelorette*, it was revealed that leading lady Jenn Tran chose Devin Strader and, in a first, proposed to him. Their happily ever after was short-lived. Through tears, Tran updated viewers that Strader ended the engagement a month ago during a 15-minute phone call, saying he “regretted getting engaged.”
Tran, the first Asian American Bachelorette, not only had to recap the fresh breakup for ABC’s cameras alongside the man who broke her heart, but she was also made to rewatch the proposal on live TV next to him. The “historic” proposal was played back with an inset of the livestream showing Tran crying, which fans of the show—and a former Bachelor—have deemed “cruel” and “unnecessary” on social media.
**What happened during the finale?**
Yes, it really was one of the most dramatic finales ever.
In Hawaii, Tran had family members and a friend meet her final two suitors. Strader showed up with gifts and declarations of love, expressing no doubts about their relationship and future. She said goodbye to suitor number two, Marcus Shoberg.
In a series first, the Bachelorette decided to make the choice herself and proposed to Strader, picking out a ring for him. Before the proposal aired, host Jesse Palmer interrupted to say that Tran needed to share what had happened since Hawaii.
In the live segment, Tran let her emotions flow—there was sobbing—as she recapped how, after they were engaged, Strader became emotionally distant. They planned a visit to reconnect, but he backed out at the last minute and ended the engagement over the phone, citing engagement regret.
Strader was brought out, and Tran was forced to confront him about the situation, saying she didn’t want to do it publicly. He claimed his feelings for her were real but had changed. Strader said he showed up for the live finale to make sure Tran was OK. She seemed pained by the whole thing, barely looking at him and wiping away tears throughout.
While that seemed like a good stopping point for production—the heartbreak was captured—Palmer then told Tran they would all watch the proposal together. She responded, “Do I have a choice?” and the answer was clearly no, as they played it. It seemed especially harsh to have a live camera fixed on her to capture every tear and sniffle as the former couple watched it together.
