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ABC canceled the upcoming season of The Bachelorette with Taylor Frankie Paul as the lead following the release of a 2023 video that appears to show violent behavior from Paul. Fans are shocked by the development, as many were excited to see The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star find love. So, with the latest season cancellation and millions of dollars lost, what does this mean for the franchise? Rachel Lindsay thinks it could end the show for good.

‘The Bachelorette’ lead Rachel Lindsay thinks Taylor Frankie Paul’s season cancellation could mark the end of the show for good

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The controversy surrounding Taylor Frankie Paul has officially led to ABC cancelling her season of The Bachelorette just days before the premiere.

“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,” a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said in a statement to CBS News. The statement referred to a 2023 video showing a physical altercation between Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. Paul was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge.

In light of the season’s cancellation, Bachelor Nation fans are wondering what’s next for the franchise. Previous Bachelorette lead Rachel Lindsay thinks this could be the nail in the coffin.

“I think it’s over,” she said while on the March 19th episode of the Bachelor Party podcast. “I was trying to think of a scenario where it could be different, because this isn’t just, ‘Oh, we put it all on a person. This person did this.’ This is the system that allowed this to happen.”

“The name Bachelorette, Bachelor is tainted at this point,” she continued. “How do you move forward past that? You can’t.”

Lindsay added that fans already weren’t happy with Paul’s casting. Historically, leads within Bachelor Nation were cast from within the franchise. Paul, coming from a separate reality show universe, didn’t sit well.

“So how do you trust this name — Bachelor, Bachelorette — that has meant something to people, moving forward? You don’t,” she continued. “You already questioned it when you moved Taylor Frankie Paul over. Now, it is completely destroyed. Like, why did you guys think this was OK? That’s the question that needs to be answered. We’re never gonna get that from Taylor at this point.”

Ultimately, Lindsay “cannot see a world where [The Bachelorette] comes back.” She added that she can only see Bachelor in Paradise returning at this point. However, even that seems unlikely to happen.

ABC is reportedly losing tens of millions of dollars from this scrapped season

According to TMZ, each episode of Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette season costs $2 million to produce. The network is losing tens of millions of dollars by scrapping the season altogether. Additionally, ABC has “trade-outs” with airlines, hotels, and other companies. These companies pay money for exposure on the show. This now results in even more money lost. Rachel Lindsay believes that people at ABC will certainly lose their jobs over this.

Another source told TMZ that producers also have to start from scratch when picking the next lead for The Bachelor. This could result in delays if the series continues.

ABC has not yet addressed the future of The Bachelorette or any other Bachelor Nation show.

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