Could Season 22 of ‘the Bachelorette’ Air Now That Taylor Frankie Paul’s Legal Drama Is Over?
It looks like Disney might be prepared to walk back its stance on Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette now that the criminal charges against the MomTok creator have been dropped. A Disney executive recently spoke on the topic, and while the company is not 100% certain Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of the turbulent dating series will air, it is not 100% certain it won’t, either. Here is what we know so far.
Rob Mills Isn’t Completely Against Airing Season 22 of The Bachelorette
Rob Mills recently appeared at Deadline’s Reality TV Summit to answer questions about Disney’s reality TV plans moving forward. When asked about Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette, Mills was evasive. He did not outright state that the season would not air. In fact, he said the company was still taking things “day-to-day” and that ensuring Paul was okay was the top priority. Mills never said the season won’t air, which some fans are taking as a hint that it might actually find its way to viewers.
If Disney does opt to dust off Season 22 of The Bachelorette and air it, they will need to get creative with how they market the series. They will need to present it in a way that acknowledges fans already have some context for what happened, because they kind of do. Sure, we don’t know who she picked or whether she picked anyone, but it is safe to assume she is not currently with one of her eligible bachelors. Considering Disney’s long history in the dating competition space, they will likely be able to come up with a unique angle if they choose to go in that direction.
Why Was Season 22 of The Bachelorette Canceled?
Season 22 of The Bachelorette was canceled just three days before it was set to premiere. The move came after TMZ published a video depicting Taylor Frankie Paul hurling barstools during a drunken altercation. The footage, which had served as evidence in Paul’s 2023 legal case, shed new light on what really happened during that incident.
The decision to shelve the season was swift, with Disney releasing a public statement the same day. The company 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.”
Paul, who was dealing with renewed legal trouble at the time, released a brief statement through a spokesperson. Now that her legal issues have been mostly resolved, she appears interested in stepping back into public life.
