Rachel Lindsay Says It's 'About Time' for Jenn Tran's Historic Bachelorette Casting, Hopes She's Protected 'at All Costs'

"I am so excited for the young girls and women who will see themselves on screen be adored and revered," former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay said of Jenn Tran's casting

Rachel Lindsay is celebrating the casting of the first Asian-American Bachelorette, Jenn Tran!

After Tran, 25, was named the lead for the upcoming season of The Bachelorette on Monday, Lindsay told TMZ: “Love is inclusive, and it’s about time that reflected Asian representation.”

“I am so excited for the young girls and women who will see themselves on screen be adored and revered,” the former Extra correspondent, 38, continued. “They are all deserving of this moment and love.”

Related: Meet the New Bachelorette Star Jenn Tran, Who Makes History This Season

The former reality star — who became the show’s first Black Bachelorette in 2017 — added, “I deeply hope the franchise not only protects Jenn at all costs but allows her to fully represent herself as an Asian woman.”

As for Tran, she reacted to her historic casting during Monday's After the Final Rose special, saying, "I feel so so grateful and so honored to be the first Asian bachelorette in this franchise."

Tran — who vied for Joey Graziadei's heart on season 28 of The Bachelor — noted how she failed to see proper Asian representation growing up and felt "boxed in" because she never imagined she could be a leading lady.

She continued, "And now, to be here today saying in this position being like I am going to lead my own love story, I am going to be the main character in my story — like I just can't help but think of how many people I'm inspiring."

Related: The Bachelor Finale: Full Recap of Joey Graziadei's Choice and Where Daisy Kent and Kelsey Anderson Are Now

Tran’s casting comes three years after Lindsay called out then-host Chris Harrison for defending another former cast member's past racist behavior, which led to his departure from the Bachelor franchise in June 2021.

Lindsay spoke out against Harrison after he seemingly defended contestant Rachael Kirkconnell during a 14-minute, unedited interview with Lindsay on Extra for past social media posts in which she dressed in Native American attire as a costume and attended an Antebellum plantation-themed ball. She later apologized, admitting that her "ignorance was racist" and that she "was wrong."

In a statement at the time, Harrison also apologized for "wrongly speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism."

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The Bachelorette is set to premiere later this year on ABC.

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