More than a month after Taylor Frankie Paul's already-filmed season of The Bachelorette was abruptly canceled just three days before its premiere, a Disney executive has offered a glimpse into whether the 22nd installment might eventually see the light of day.
Rob Mills, executive vice president of unscripted and alternative entertainment at ABC's parent company, told TheWrap in an interview published April 22, "We take everything a day at a time." He added, "We're sort of really still processing everything and figuring out planning for the next cycles of The Bachelor franchise, and really just kind of looking at everything."
While the network is focusing on the franchise's counterpart series, Mills stressed that Paul's well-being remains a top priority. Her season was pulled after a video surfaced showing a 2023 altercation with then-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.
"First and foremost, honestly," Mills said, the network is "just making sure that Taylor, her family, everyone is being taken care of, just on a personal and human front."
As for whether contestants from Paul's season might appear on the upcoming 30th season of The Bachelor, Mills left the door open: "We're open to anything. I think you saw with Golden Bachelor, this is a phenomenal format that you can tell all different types of stories." He added, "The most important thing is just telling somebody's story who has a great journey ahead of them."
The decision to scrap the season came after a video emerged showing Paul throwing bar stools at Mortensen during an argument, accidentally hitting her then-5-year-old daughter. A Disney spokesperson said at the time, "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."
The fallout also paused production on season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which airs on Hulu, following a separate alleged altercation in February. However, production is set to resume soon, and a source close to Paul told E! News that she may return to the show in the future.
"Taylor's priority is her mental health and her family right now," the source said, noting that "everyone at Hulu has been helpful and supportive." The insider added, "She wants to come back to the show in the future, but right now the focus is her family life and her wellbeing. When she's ready, the door is absolutely open."