Wait, wasn’t Caila Quinn supposed to be the next star of “The Bachelorette”? That was the rumor circulating prior to “The Bachelor: After the Final Rose” special. However, on Monday night host Chris Harrison announced that Season 20 runner up, JoJo Fletcher, would be taking over as the leading lady.

Despite not winning Ben’s heart or landing “The Bachelorette” gig, Caila took to Twitter to wish the best to Lauren Bushnell and JoJo.

While many members of “The Bachelor” fan base are ecstatic to get more time with JoJo, a 24-year-old Dallas real estate developer, others are upset that ABC isn’t moving forward with a more diverse contestant. As TV Guide notes, former ABC entertainment chief Paul Lee hinted in January that the network was going to be taking a different path with the 12th season of “The Bachelorette.”

“I’d be very surprised if ‘The Bachelorette’ in the summer isn’t diverse,” Lee said at the Television Critics Association winter press tour.

This led many to speculate that Caila, who is half-Caucasian and half-Filipino, would be landing the coveted position. The 24-year-old software sales representative was sent home after her fantasy suite date with Ben Higgins. While she told “The Bachelor” star that she was in love with him, he couldn’t return those words. He eliminated her from the competition prior to the rose ceremony. The rumors about her casting only grew when camera crews were spotted filming in her hometown of Hudson, Ohio. Viewers immediately assumed that they were filming an introduction package for “The Bachelorette.”

According to Us Magazine, Caila was initially cast as “The Bachelorette” lead, but that the network decided to go with JoJo after her dramatic and emotional finale storyline. ABC has not confirmed those reports, so it’s still not clear why camera crews were following Caila. It’s possible that Caila could still appear on another “Bachelor” spinoff series, “Bachelor in Paradise.” So far the network has only revealed that fellow contestant Lace Morris will be featured in the third season.

“The Bachelorette” with JoJo Fletcher premieres on ABC Monday, May 23 at 8 p.m. EDT.

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