ABC Executive Addresses Absence of Taylor Frankie Paul's 'The Bachelorette' Season From Summer Lineup

Taylor Frankie Paul's highly anticipated turn as The Bachelorette lead remains in limbo, with no announced return date as ABC continues to navigate the situation surrounding the season.

The network scrapped the season earlier this year just before its scheduled premiere, following a domestic assault investigation involving Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen. While ABC indicated at the time that the show would not move forward "at this time," the door wasn't entirely closed on the possibility of the season eventually airing.

Speculation had circulated in recent weeks that Paul's season might debut during ABC's summer programming block. However, when the network unveiled its summer slate, the dating competition notably failed to make the cut.

Rob Mills, executive vice president of unscripted and alternative entertainment at Walt Disney Television, offered insight into the network's approach during a conversation with TheWrap in late April. "We take everything a day at a time," Mills explained. "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, and first and foremost, honestly, just making sure that Taylor, her family, everyone is being taken care of, just on a personal and human front."

Meanwhile, other Bachelor franchise entries have secured their futures. Both The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise have been renewed and are slated to premiere during the 2026-2027 broadcast season.