Ashley Iaconetti doesn’t think ‘Bachelorette’ lead Jenn Tran will get engaged: She doesn’t have a ‘connection’
“Bachelor” alum Ashley Iaconetti usually enjoys placing bets on whom the franchise leads will get engaged to at the end of each season, but she suspects “Bachelorette” star Jenn Tran will leave the show single.
“In this instance, I think she’s not going to end up with anyone,” Iaconetti exclusively tells Page Six when asked about Tran’s perfect match in Season 21.
“I just don’t know if there’s a connection that I see that stands out above everyone else at this point.”
Although Iaconetti, 36, doubts that Tran’s “ideal match” will be found among the remaining men, she believes there are several contestants the physician assistant student “would like to date” but not marry.
The mom of two says she’s basing her guess on a gut instinct, explaining that she recently spent 24 hours catching up on the reality show and has been careful about avoiding spoilers online.
Though she has her reservations, Iaconetti believes Tran’s deepest connection was with contestant Sam McKinney, who was eliminated in Monday’s episode.
“I think that’s probably the most physical attraction,” the “Almost Famous Podcast” host says, pointing out their steamy makeout sessions.
However, Iaconetti is unsure of whom Tran, 26, has the “most emotional attraction” to, adding that she’ll have to watch how the rest of the season plays out.
The mom of two has been a supporter of Tran and even rushed to her defense when Kelly Ripa harshly questioned why she didn’t want to find a husband at medical school or in an office.
“It disappoints me when I see that Kelly Ripa has such an ax to grind with ‘The Bachelor’ franchise,” Iaconetti said on her podcast last month, adding that the talk show host has shamed the show in the past.
“Every time we have a lead go on the show to promote it, she always seems to be so skeptical of — a little bit of the lead, and their decision to be the lead — and also just the process,” she added.
In addition to keeping up with Tran’s “Bachelorette” season, the “Bachelor in Paradise” alum has spent the past few weeks bonding with her newborn son, Hayden Cruise, whom she welcomed on July 22 with her husband, Jared Haibon.
Iaconetti — who is currently partnering with Grubhub to bring a special offer to new mothers — also shares 2-year-old son Dawson with Haibon, 35.
The couple’s love story began during Season 2 of “Bachelor in Paradise” in 2015.
While they initially showed interest in each other, Haibon rejected Iaconetti’s advances and they left the show single but remained friends.
In 2016, they returned for Season 3 of “BiP,” which ended with Haibon briefly dating Caila Quinn.
Haibon and Iaconetti’s relationship took a turn in May 2018 when they both decided to give each other a shot.
Two months after going public, they got engaged in Mexico and said “I do” in August 2019.
The duo recently celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary by posting footage from their nuptials on Instagram.
