The twenty-second season of The Bachelorette was planned to premiere on March 22, 2026.[1] The season was to feature 31-year-old Taylor Frankie Paul, a reality TV star, influencer, and single mom from Herriman, Utah.[2] Paul, who is one of the stars of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, would have been the first ever Bachelorette to have not appeared on a previous season of The Bachelor.[3] On March 19, three days before the season premiere, TMZ published a video from a 2023 domestic violence case of Paul assaulting her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. The case was publicly known before Paul's season was announced, but the release of the video lead ABC to pull the season.[4]
A special half-hour preview episode, "Before the First Rose", aired following ABC's telecast of the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026.[12] The special featured Paul meeting an ensemble of 18 Bachelorettes from past seasons to share their advice, accompanied by retrospectives of notable moments from their respective seasons.[13]
Domestic violence dispute and cancellation
Before she was announced as the Bachelorette and before filming began, a 2023 domestic violence case involving Paul was publicly known.[5][14] Paul was arrested on February 17, 2023, after her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, called police to report she was assaulting him.[14] She was charged with assault, criminal mischief, and domestic violence in the presence of a child.[15]The Salt Lake Tribune reported that police had viewed a video of the altercation, which showed Paul throwing heavy metal chairs towards Mortensen, one of which hit her five-year-old daughter.[16] Court documents show that she admitted to throwing the chairs. She entered a plea in abeyance in August 2023 to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault. Four other charges were dismissed without prejudice.[14]
In March 2026, a spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed reports of an "open domestic assault investigation" concerning Paul and Mortensen.[17] Allegations of domestic violence were "made in both directions" and "contact was made with involved parties" in late February.[17] The investigation prompted The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives to halt production for their fifth season.[18]Cinnabon, a baked goods store chain, ended their partnership with both The Bachelorette and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives in the wake of the allegations.[19] Spokespeople for ABC initially said that The Bachelorette would air as planned.[20] Paul claimed that she would address the investigation "when the time is right" during an appearance on Good Morning America.[20] She was scheduled to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon afterwards, but her appearance was canceled by the talk show due to the investigation.[21]
On March 19, three days before the season premiere, TMZ published a video of the 2023 assault case.[15] That same day, Disney Entertainment Television announced that "in light of the newly released video," they would not broadcast Paul's season of The Bachelorette and wished to focus on "supporting the family."[22]
Contestants
26 potential contestants were revealed on October 23, 2025.[23] The final cast of 22 men was announced on February 23, 2026.[24]
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