AceShowbiz - Earlier this week, "The Bachelorette" star Jenn Tran, the franchise's first Asian American lead, took to social media to call out a user who left a racist and body-shaming comment on her Instagram post. In the post, Tran, 26, dances energetically in front of a billboard featuring her own face, while the derisive comment is visibly pinned on the corner of the screen.

"Thunder thighs don't make us jealous, we prefer Asians on the thin side," the comment read. Tran, however, remained unbothered, captioning the post with a mere yawning emoji and paired it with the popular Sabrina Carpenter sound, "I'm on SNL and you're not."

Supporters immediately rallied behind her, expressing heartfelt encouragement. Former castmate Sydney Gordon noted, "You're up on a billboard and his head is up in his a$$! You're an icon don't let anyone bring you down."

Season 27 "The Bachelor" contestant Christina Mandrell added, "WHAT!? People never fail to amaze me. YOU are perfection!" Influencer Ashley Flores chimed in, "That man has lost his mind. We love thunder thighs and all bodies over here."

The notable intersection of misogyny and racism was obvious to many, only strengthening Tran's resolve. As one follower pointed out, "Not the intersection of misogyny and racism slay Jenn!!!"

Despite the outside noise, Tran has taken her role as a trailblazer to heart. She admitted to PEOPLE, "I questioned if I wanted to take on the lead position due to the negativity. I won't say that it's all been positive because racism still exists. I have gotten a lot of hate messages, but along with that, I've also gotten so many people who have been so grateful to see somebody like me on their screen."

Even with the torrent of hateful messages, Tran feels "grateful and honored" to serve as a role model, an opportunity she sorely missed while growing up. "I am becoming the role model that I've always wanted to see as a little girl," she expressed.

The journey hasn't been easy. "I was announced, and then, I had immediately left for filming. I didn't have my phone throughout that whole time, so I had no idea what the world was saying until I came back from this amazing experience," she shared. "I was so excited and so hopeful, and then, I go online and I read a bajillion people's opinions on everything. That was really disappointing."

However, Tran has learned to overcome the barrage of negativity. "I was like, 'Do I deserve this?' It was really tough for me to see all of that, but I continue to stay grateful. I'm so honored to be the first Asian American lead. I know I'm inspiring so many people to embrace their differences," she concluded, advocating self-acceptance.

"I really think my story lies in the fact that I've always felt different my entire life, and I hope that people can see that you shouldn't want to be normal, you should embrace what makes you you."

"The Bachelorette", featuring Jenn Tran, premieres Monday, July 8, at 8 P.M. ET on ABC.