‘The Bachelorette’ Season 22 Canceled by ABC

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For almost 25 years, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have been popular reality shows on ABC. The Bachelorette began in 2003, following The Bachelor‘s debut in 2002. Each season features a single woman choosing from a group of around 25 potential partners, getting to know them before narrowing down the field and hopefully finding a lasting connection. Over the first 21 seasons of The Bachelorette, five couples have actually gone on to get married.

Many people who appear on this show have gone on to star in other reality TV programs. Recently, Jenn Tran and Charity Lawson (from Seasons 21 and 20, respectively), along with Season 20’s second-place finisher, Joey Graziadei, all competed on Dancing With The Stars on ABC. But just as the next season of the show was about to begin, unexpected news caused a shift in plans.

On March 19, 2026, TMZ released a video from 2023 showing Taylor Frankie Paul, a star from Season 22 of The Bachelorette, physically attacking her ex-husband, Paul Mortenson, while their daughter was present. Following the video’s release, NBC News reported that Disney canceled the upcoming season of The Bachelorette. This is the first time in the show’s history – and the history of The Bachelor – that a season has been canceled.

Taylor Frankie Paul became well-known after appearing on Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. She gained viral attention when she shared that she and her husband had been exploring “soft swinging” with other couples. The show followed Paul and her friends – a group of social media influencers known as “MomTok” – as they navigated the consequences of this revelation. Paul often attracted attention with her behavior, which became a key draw for viewers. Four seasons of the series have been released on Hulu, with the latest airing on March 12, 2026.

With a domestic violence investigation involving Paul and Mortenson still underway, Disney and ABC have decided to remove the video. Given the companies’ standards of conduct and the apparent authenticity of the video, this decision was expected.

Paul faced charges of assault, property damage, and domestic violence involving a child following an incident in 2023. Court documents show she later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated assault in August 2025, with the understanding the charge could be dropped if she met certain conditions. The arrest was featured on the first episode of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Disney and ABC are still deciding how to handle the programming schedule now that The Bachelorette is no longer airing, but they are taking this matter seriously and will fully investigate to ensure everyone involved is held responsible.

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If you’re experiencing domestic violence, or if you know someone who is, help is available 24/7. You can reach the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence helpline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

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2026-03-20 01:21