‘The Bachelorette’ Season 21: Online racists attack Thomas Nguyen following eviction
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Thomas Nguyen, a contestant on Season 21 of 'The Bachelorette,' recently took to Instagram to reveal that he has been subjected to online hate and racist comments following his portrayal as a villain on the show. This disclosure highlights concerns about the show's producers prioritizing drama over the well-being of contestants.
Despite Jenn Tran being the first Asian American lead in 'The Bachelor' franchise, Thomas Nguyen was the only Asian man in her cast. After his elimination from the show, Thomas took to Instagram to reveal that he has faced racial slurs and online hate.
"Blessed is an absolute understatement for how I feel about this experience with @bacheloretteabc! Thank you to everyone at ABC , Kassting (@ohhcohen @thekatieski ) and everyone behind the scenes that made this happen for me. I appreciate you so much. Thank you to everyone who has been team Thomas from the beginning I love and appreciate you too," he started by writing.
Thomas added, "To Bachelor nation: thank you for continuing to show your passion for this franchise. Over the last 5 weeks I’ve gotten racial slurs, go kill yourself, I hope you die and every other hateful message in between based off a character yall saw for 10 minutes about over 5 weeks."
"I also got soooo much love and support from yall too and that means so much to me and my family that you can see through this. To the people who know me and have supported me through this process thank you so much. It’s been a wild ride. I’ll see yall soon 👀 With love, Thomas N🌹," he concluded.
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‘The Bachelorette’ star Thomas Nguyen calls out producers for creating a 'negative character' of him
Thomas made an intriguing observation when he suggested that the hate he received on 'The Bachelorette' was rooted in the character the show portrayed him as. Throughout the season, he was depicted as getting angry with fellow contestants like Devin Strader and Sam Nejad, particularly when he felt they were being disrespectful by interrupting his time with Jenn.
By acknowledging the love and support he also received from fans, Thomas hinted that not all of the drama depicted on the show was genuine. He suggested that producers might have manipulated certain situations, such as when Sam interrupted his conversation with Jenn, to generate more tension and entertainment. If true, this raises questions about the authenticity of reality TV and the extent to which producers will go to craft a compelling storyline.
'The Bachelorette’ star Thomas Nguyen instantly connected with Jenn Tran on ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 21
Thomas and Jenn Tran developed a strong connection on 'The Bachelorette' Season 21, bonding over their shared Vietnamese heritage. “Thomas N. definitely saw a different side of me that not a lot of people can see and that just touched a really special place in my heart, and I feel grateful that all these men are truly opening up to me,” Jenn shared on the show.
During an interview with Glamour, Jenn expressed that her brief interaction with Thomas was one of the most 'favorite conversations' she has had.
“I think back to it a lot because it’s not every day that you get to bond with somebody on your immigrant parents and you get to connect with somebody on that level because not everybody can understand that. That was a really special conversation for me because he really understood where I was coming from, and my family means everything to me," she told the media outlet.
Jenn Tran opens up on the lack of Asian men on ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 21
In the same interview, Jenn Tran expressed her disappointment with the lack of Asian representation among the contestants on 'The Bachelorette' Season 21. She voiced her hope for increased diversity and a broader range of Asian suitors in future seasons of the popular reality dating show. “I can’t really speak to the casting process and the decisions that were made, but it is unfortunate that there weren’t a lot of Asian men this season,” she said.
Jenn went on to say, “Asian men haven’t always seen themselves in this position, and I am hoping that me being here and Thomas N. being there, that the both of us can inspire other Asian men to realize that they can do this too if they want. They can be in this position as well. I’m hoping that it inspires them.”
