- The Bachelorette Season 22 is NOT cancelled — ABC confirmed the show will premiere as scheduled on Sunday, March 22, 2026, despite an active domestic violence investigation involving lead Taylor Frankie Paul
- Taylor and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, are currently involved in an ongoing domestic assault investigation, with reports of a sponsor already pulling out of the season
- ABC held internal meetings to decide whether to move forward, but Variety confirmed the investigation will have zero impact on the release schedule or promotional plans
Nobody does chaos quite like Bachelor Nation. And right now, Season 22 of The Bachelorette is serving up more drama before a single rose has even been handed out than most seasons manage across ten episodes. Fans have been flooding search engines with one burning question all week — is The Bachelorette cancelled? The short answer is no. The longer answer is a whole lot messier.
What Is Actually Going On With Taylor Frankie Paul?
Controversy surrounding Taylor and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, involves domestic violence accusations that broke into headlines just days before the premiere. The timing could not have been worse — or, depending on how you look at it, more perfectly engineered to get people talking.
Taylor has been in New York this week actively promoting the show, appearing on Good Morning America and Live with Kelly and Mark. She addressed the situation on air but kept it brief. “Honestly, it’s been a heavy time to see the headlines, especially during this time of The Bachelorette being released, and it’s supposed to be a really exciting time,” she said. “Right now, just trying to be in the present moment and focus on this.”
Meanwhile, a representative for Dakota told Entertainment Weekly that his number one priority is protecting their son, Ever, and that he wants to co-parent effectively.
Did ABC Actually Consider Cancelling the Season?
Here’s where it gets really interesting. According to gossip columnist Rob Shuter, producers held internal meetings to determine what to do about Taylor’s season, including whether or not to move forward with it as originally scheduled. Those conversations reportedly happened. They were real. And for a brief moment, the fate of Season 22 was genuinely up in the air.
But in the end, the network held firm. According to Variety, the investigation will not impact the release schedule or press plans for The Bachelorette. ABC did not make an official statement about pulling the show, replacing Taylor, or scrapping the season entirely. The show is going ahead. Full stop.
A sponsor has reportedly already cut ties with the season — but if history tells us anything about this franchise, a little scandal has never exactly hurt the ratings.
When Does The Bachelorette Season 22 Actually Premiere?
Instead of its traditional Monday night slot, the show is premiering on Sunday, March 22, 2026 — a new night for the franchise, with episodes streaming the following day on Hulu. Taylor Frankie Paul, 31, is best known as a breakout star of Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, making her the first lead pulled from completely outside Bachelor Nation in years. Twenty-two men will compete for her heart across the season.
The controversy has already done one thing ABC’s marketing team could never have pulled off on their own — it has made this the most talked-about Bachelorette premiere in years. Love it or hate it, you’re probably going to tune in on Sunday night just to see what happens. And deep down, ABC knows exactly that.
