Reality TV star Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” may actually see the light of day, months after being canceled just a few days before the March premiere date.
Paul is a 31-year-old mom of three from Utah and a TikTok influencer-turned-reality TV star, known for Hulu’s “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” She would have been the first-ever “Bachelorette” lead to come from outside of “The Bachelor” franchise.
The premiere of “The Bachelorette” season 22 was scheduled for March 22, but ABC canceled the show days earlier, on March 19. Paul and her ex-boyfriend and father of her youngest child, Dakota Mortensen, were entangled in an ongoing domestic violence investigation that eventually caused ABC to pull the show from its spring schedule.
According to reports this week from TMZ and Cosmopolitan, there’s a chance that Paul’s season may actually air this July, but ABC has not confirmed if this is true.
Watch past seasons of ‘The Bachelorette’ with the Disney Bundle
Here’s what we know about the possibility of Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” airing this summer and why it was canceled.
Is Hulu airing ‘The Bachelorette’ 2026?
As of June 25, ABC has not confirmed whether Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” will air this summer, but rumors have been swirling online since its cancellation in March.
On June 24, TMZ reported that, according to “production sources,” “the current discussion behind the scenes is for the season to premiere in mid-July — though final plans are not yet locked.”
“Our sources say when ABC pulled the season from its schedule, editors working on the series never stopped cutting the episodes … a sign the network was keeping the door open for a future premiere,” the tabloid said.
In March, shortly after the show was canceled, Page Six reported that “ABC may still air Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Bachelorette’ season,” due to the high cost of making the show.
In May, longtime Bachelor Nation blogger Reality Steve predicted that if Paul’s season is released, it would likely be this summer.
“Considering we now know there’s going to be a ‘Bachelor’ season that will probably film in September through November and go back to their normal schedule, I would think they’d want Taylor Frankie Paul’s season to be done airing by the time the next Bachelor season starts,” Reality Steve said.
Why was ‘The Bachelorette’ 2026 canceled? Updates on Taylor Frankie Paul’s custody battle
The cancellation of Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” came roughly three days before the first episode was set to premiere, as police were investigating an alleged domestic incident involving Paul and her ex-boyfriend and father of her youngest child, Dakota Mortensen.
The Draper City Police Department in Northern Utah confirmed to PEOPLE on March 19 that there was an ongoing “domestic assault investigation” involving Paul and Mortensen, who both reportedly accused each other of domestic violence. Law enforcement made contact with the parties on Feb. 24 and 25, the spokesperson told the outlet.
Adding to the online discourse, TMZ published footage from 2023, showing Paul throwing chairs at Mortensen, while her child was reportedly nearby. This sparked some fans on social media to call for the show’s cancellation.
In a statement to media outlets in March, a Disney Entertainment spokesperson said, “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”
On Monday, June 1, a Salt Lake City judge ruled that Paul will be able to have unsupervised, overnight visitation with her and Mortensen’s 2-year-old son, Ever, according to court records obtained by USA TODAY.
Previously, Paul was only allowed supervised visitation for “up to eight hours” each week. The new arrangement follows Utah’s minimum parent-time provision. According to the Utah State Legislature’s official website, this allows Paul to have Ever overnight every other weekend and one midday weekday, not overnight.
The judge also ruled to continue the terms of their mutual restraining orders, barring Mortensen and Paul from “making disparaging remarks of one another” and requiring them to stay at least 100 feet apart.
Has ABC confirmed if ‘The Bachelorette’ will air?
In May, longtime “Bachelor” sleuth Reality Steve, whose real name is Steve Carbone, predicted that Paul’s season would air this summer on ABC and Hulu. At the time, he believed the official announcement would be made during Disney and ABC’s Upfront on May 12. It was not.
On June 24, TMZ reported that, according to “production sources,” “the current discussion behind the scenes is for the season to premiere in mid-July — though final plans are not yet locked.”
As of June 25, ABC has not confirmed whether Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” will air this summer.
Watch past seasons of ‘The Bachelorette’ with the Disney Bundle
Who was the ‘winner’ of ‘The Bachelorette’? See who Taylor Frankie Paul chose
Carbone revealed that Paul reportedly gave the final rose to 28-year-old lifeguard Doug Mason, and that the couple allegedly got engaged. However, Carbone reported the couple broke up shortly after.
The pair have since been spotted together in public but are still not linked romantically.
One Florida contestant on Taylor’s ‘Bachelorette’ season
There was one person from Florida who appeared on season 22 of “The Bachelorette” — Kevin Montero, a 32-year-old physical therapist from Miami.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.
Contributing: Liza Esquibias, USA TODAY
Lianna Norman and Samantha Neely are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Bachelorette’ season rumored to air next month
Reporting by Samantha Neely and Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Samantha Neely and Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
