The BacheloretteAt ‘s “Men Tell All” event, 15 eliminated Season 21 contestants reunited with Jenn Tran for the first time since leaving the show. And yes, Bachelor Nation, Sam McKinney was in attendance.
The first Rose to make the impression had a slightly shameful appearance on the show, and when Jenn took the stage to confront her ex-boyfriends, she had a lot to say to the Lord: “The most important thing remains the most important thing.”
The 27-year-old construction contractor from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, spent much of his “Men Tell All” television time defending his actions, apologizing for words and, in some cases, attempting to take responsibility. He even addressed the “disrespectful” casting comment he made when he thought that Bachelor The main roles in season 21 would be played by former season 28 cast members Maria Georgas and Daisy Kent. But when Jenn took the stage, she had more to say to the man who had abandoned her.
When franchise host Jesse Palmer asked Jenn when things changed for her and Sam, she said, “There were a lot of alarm bells. I’ve got a few warning signs in my head. But it was really so clear to me when I realized that this man and I weren’t speaking, like we weren’t having any conversations at all. And at the end of the day, he didn’t know me at all.”
“I’m going to say this in words you’ll understand,” Jenn continued, directing her comments at Sam before using his own cursed catchphrase against him. “I’m going to keep the most important thing, the most important thing here. And you know what? I wasn’t upset that you didn’t know how to describe love. Obviously we’re on very different emotional and intellectual levels. That’s OK. What upset me was the fact that I watched this again and saw how you were dealing with all these men, huffing and puffing your chest out all over the place. The blatant disrespect to everyone and then on top of that, our relationship. The whole time, it was all about you – like You we felt at that moment what You wanted. Everything revolved around you.”
After addressing his behavior during the season, Jenn also addressed Sam M’s actions since the show began, saying, “Instead of growing and learning from this, you decided to up the ante and have your friends and family go online to defend your honor when you’re a grown man. Instead of taking responsibility for your actions, you decided to place the blame on the producers, the editing, the TV show, or whatever. Ultimately, the man I saw on TV was the exact man I sat across from for the entire journey.”
As Decider previously reported, in the weeks since Sam M. was first named the villain of Season 21, the contestant’s family members have jumped to his defense on social media and criticized the show’s changes. On July 30, his sister shared a video on Instagram calling him “one of the most authentic, loyal, badass guys you’ll ever meet.” She explained that he “can be a hothead and his delivery isn’t always the best, but he says what he means and he means what he says.” Earlier in the season, Reality Steve also shared screenshots of Sam M.’s father, mother, and additional family members posting in his defense, so we’re assuming that’s what Jenn was referring to during “Men Tell All.”
Before Sam M. chimed in, Jenn delivered another devastating blow, saying, “I want you to get through this. But if you don’t step back and look at what you’ve seen and take responsibility for your actions and grow and learn, then I feel very, very sorry for whoever you end up with, because this delusional world you’re living in right now and this denial is not going to work for anyone.”
After cheers from the crowd, Sam responded, assuring Jenn that he went on stage and “took on a lot of responsibility” before she arrived. “I definitely lost myself in some of those moments and wish I could go back and redo them,” he admitted. “Honestly, you saw the walls that I built around my heart that you saw before me, and that’s something I’m forever grateful for, and that’s something that I can pass on to my next partner. For that, I really just want to say thank you.”
Before Jesse Palmer moved on to the next topic, Jenn said, “I really hope you mean this and aren’t just saying it, because I really want the best for you.”
Phew! We all survived the scariest Men Tell All meeting. Great job, Bachelor Nation family.
I wonder how Jenn Trans Bachelorette Journey ends? Tune in to the three-hour live finale on ABC on Tuesday, September 3 at 8 p.m. ET.
