Will Taylor Frankie Paul's “Bachelorette” Season Air? Disney Exec Weighs In

Staff AuthorThu, April 23, 2026 at 3:17 PM UTC

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Taylor Frankie Paul for "The Bachelorette"Credit: Michael Kirchoff/Disney -

Taylor Frankie Paul's season of The Bachelorette was pulled by ABC on March 19, just three days before it was set to premiere

At the time, there was an open "domestic assault investigation" into Paul and her ex, though she will not face charges, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office later confirmed

Rob Mills, the executive vice president of unscripted for Walt Disney TV, has offered new insights on where the show stands

It's been over a month since ABC pulled Taylor Frankie Paul's season of The Bachelorette days before it was set to air.

At the time, footage had just been published of Paul throwing chairs at her ex, Dakota Mortensen, while a child was nearby in 2023, and there was an active "domestic assault investigation" into the couple over a more recent situation.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Disney Entertainment Television said the network had "made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time" and said their "focus is on supporting the family."

Rob Mills, the executive vice president of unscripted for Walt Disney TV, now says the network is "tak[ing] everything a day at a time" as they continue to weigh their options about the unaired season.

Taylor Frankie Paul for "The Bachelorette"Credit: Disney/Sami Drasin

"We’re sort of really still processing everything and figuring out," he told TheWrap in an interview published Wednesday, April 22. The network is "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."

Along the same lines, he told Variety in another interview that "there’s really nothing new to report right now" about Paul's season, and "everything with that is one day at a time."

Paul, 31, will not face charges in the domestic violence investigations, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office confirmed on April 14, as several of the alleged incidents fall outside of the statute of limitations, and others "do not rise to the level of criminal offenses” or lack "sufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges," per documents obtained by PEOPLE.

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After her season was pulled, a spokesperson for Paul said the mom of three was "very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security" and said she has been "silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation" for years.

"Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm," the statement said.

Mortensen, 33, who shares a 2-year-old son with Paul, responded in a statement at the time: "I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same."

Taylor Frankie Paul on set of "The Bachelorette"Credit: Disney/Bahareh Ritter

Days before The Bachelorette was pulled, filming was paused on season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, a source told PEOPLE due to "some pretty serious stuff happening regarding [Paul's] past."

Production resumed on the series on April 22, PEOPLE confirmed, though neither Paul nor Mortensen will be filmed at first. A source said that Paul "has the option to return" to the reality show, and it's possible she could make an appearance, but she's "focusing on her kids and mental health issues" for the time being.

Speaking to Variety, Mills shared why Paul was the right pick to lead The Bachelorette.

"I had met with Taylor. She had said, 'Look, I’m raising three kids with different fathers; one, I have a phenomenal co-parenting relationship with. The other one is a challenge, but I’m really looking for a partner and somebody who can help me.' Her motives were really very sincere," he said.

"Walking into that, that was a really exciting story to tell through the lens of The Bachelorette. Obviously, with everything that happened and everything everyone’s going through, that’s the hard part," Mills added. "Everything that Taylor’s had to go through has been really hard. The season itself is really, really fantastic. It was a great journey for her."

on People

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