Maria Georgas became a fan favorite during her time on Joey Graziadei’s season of The Bachelor, and after her dismissal, many viewers assumed she would become the next Bachelorette.
Instead, Jenn Tran got the job.
And while no one is complaining — Jenn has a lot of fans, too! — many are wondering what happened there.
After all, Maria made it all the way to Joey’s final four, and she was almost certainly the contestant who generated the most buzz throughout the season.
Runner-up Daisy Kent turned down the job, but what about Maria?
Why Isn’t Maria Georgas the Next Bachelorette?
The TikTok fan account Bachelor Data recently offered some insight into the Maria situation by revealing that fellow contestant Lauren Hollinger — who appeared on the show with her sister — responded to an Instagram follower’s DM about Maria:
“She turned it down. But still happy for Jenn!!!” Lauren wrote in the DM.
Maria has yet to confirm or deny that claim, but on her own Instagram page, she revealed that she’s thrilled for Jenn’s exciting opportunity.
“Couldn’t be happier,” Maria captioned an Instagram Story.
In a separate post, Maria elaborated on her pro-Jenn stance:
“When I tell you how happy I am for her, you best believe it. We were always there for each other. Always,” she wrote, according to Life & Style.
“So I’ll be cheering for her on every step of the way. She deserves this moment and it’s HERS,” Maria continued, adding:
“The representation alone is doing so many little girls proud who can look up and see a beautiful Asian woman bless our screens. You go Jenn!! Go get your man!!!”
As for Daisy, she seemed more than happy to let someone else step into the role.
“I’m leaving this whole experience happier than when I came in, and that’s because every single woman in the house,” she told host Jesse Palmer.
“I’m healthy, and I’m happy, and I haven’t had those two things in a really long time, and so right now, I know it’s a time for me to focus on the things I love and the people I love, and so, right now, no, I’m not ready, and that’s okay, and I’m really proud of myself for realizing that.”
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria (Not Wanting to Be the Bachelorette)?
Maria might not be interested in the gig, but it seems that producers had no trouble finding a suitable replacement.
So far, the Jenn casting has been one of the most popular decisions in the history of the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise.
And since Joey was one of the most well-liked stars the show has ever cast, we could be on the verge of two successful seasons in a row!
We hope to see more of Maria at one point, but in the meantime, we couldn’t be more excited about witnessing Jenn’s search for love!