TMZ is reporting that Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” is not included in ABC’s fall lineup — a significant development that complicates the summer air date Reality Steve reported just days ago and raises fresh questions about whether the season will air at all.
ABC’s Upfronts presentation is scheduled for Monday, May 12. That is the moment the network will formally announce its upcoming programming slate, and it is the event that was expected to finally give a concrete answer on TFP’s season. Based on TMZ’s reporting, that answer may not be what fans of the franchise were hoping for.
How We Got Here
Taylor Frankie Paul was announced as the Season 22 lead of “The Bachelorette” on September 10, 2025, on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast — a casting choice that broke nearly every franchise tradition at once. She was cast outside of the franchise entirely, and the season was scheduled to air in the first half of the year rather than its traditional summer slot.
Three days before the March premiere, TMZ published a video showing Paul physically attacking her then-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen in 2023. Disney Entertainment issued a statement that same day: “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.”
Court records show that Paul pleaded guilty to third-degree felony aggravated assault and has been serving 36 months of probation. The Salt Lake County DA declined to file charges over the separate February 2026 alleged incidents. Mutual three-year protective orders between Paul and Mortensen were granted by a Utah court in April.
What Reality Steve Reported — And What TMZ Is Now Saying
Last week, Reality Steve reported that TFP’s season would air this summer on ABC, adding that he expected the Upfronts to include some mention of the series regardless of what happened with the season itself.
TMZ’s reporting directly contradicts the summer timeline by placing the season outside the fall lineup — which, combined with its absence from a summer confirmation, suggests the network has still not committed to airing it at all.
Traditionally, “The Bachelorette” airs in July, while “The Bachelor” dominates ABC’s winter programming and the “Golden” edition occupies the fall slot.
With fall now off the table per TMZ and no summer air date officially confirmed, the window for this season to air in 2026 is narrowing.
What Happens Monday
The ABC Upfronts on May 12 is the clearest moment of accountability the network has had on this question since the original cancellation. T
he Bachelor franchise remains one of ABC’s biggest programming entities and occupies a massive portion of the network’s lineup — which means Monday’s presentation will need to address it whether the season airs or not.
A new Bachelor lead is rumored to begin filming later this year. What happens to TFP’s completed season is the question nobody at the network has answered publicly yet.
“The Bachelorette” airs on ABC. Seasons 1 through 21 are streaming on Hulu.
“Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” Seasons 1-4 are streaming on Hulu.
Read next:
- Reality Steve Says Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Bachelorette’ Season Will Air This Summer
- Taylor Frankie Paul Reveals PTSD Diagnosis
- Domestic Violence Charges Dropped Against Taylor Frankie Paul
- Dakota Mortensen Speaks Out After Domestic Violence Charges Dropped
For more “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” click here.
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