Is ‘The Bachelorette’ On Tonight?

In case you somehow missed it, it’s been a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week for ABC, Hulu, Disney, the Bachelor franchise, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and beyond.

If you’re a member of Bachelor Nation, love SLOMW, are a reality TV fan in general, or simply someone who was curious about Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette, you’ve likely been counting down the days until her highly-anticipated, heavily hyped Season 22 premiered.

After Jenn Tran’s train wreck of a Bachelorette finale in 2024, the franchise pressed pause on The Bachelor spinoff to regroup. Rather than steering clear of drama, however, after a promising hiatus the franchise shocked fans by doubling down on some of its worst impulses and casting the controversial reality TV star. As a result, the “most dramatic season in Bachelor history” ended before it even began.

In a previous article, Decider explained why the season was doomed to fail from the start, because producers cast Paul for the wrong reasons. But nevertheless, The Bachelorette Season 22 was set to premiere on Sunday, March 22. But after this week’s nightmare news cycle, those plans drastically changed…

So is The Bachelorette on tonight, March 22? And was The Bachelorette canceled? Here’s everything to know about Taylor Frankie Paul’s The Bachelorette Season 22.

Is The Bachelorette On Tonight, March 22?

The Bachelorette Season 22 was set to premiere on Sunday, March 22 on ABC, but following a tumultuous news cycle and a truly tragic series of events, ABC officially decided not to air Taylor Frankie Paul’s episodes.

Folks had been calling on ABC to scrap the season all week after news of Paul’s involvement in a recent domestic violence incident that reportedly halted SLOMW Season 5 filming. The reality star was previously arrested for alleged domestic violence in 2023, as seen in SLOMW‘s Season 1 premiere. Since her arrest, the 31-year-old mother of three had thoroughly discussed the incident on podcasts, and publicly and transparently held herself accountable for behavior. But on Thursday, March 19, TMZ posted video footage of the incident recorded by Paul’s ex Dakota Mortensen, pushed the franchise, the network, and Disney to finally take action.

“In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,” a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said in a statement sent to DECIDER on Thursday.

So no, The Bachelorette will no longer air on ABC Sunday, March 22. In its place, the network is airing an American Idol rerun.

Photos: ABC ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

Will Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette Season Ever Air?

While The Bachelorette Season 22 definitely isn’t premiering on March 22 and as of this time there are no known plans to air the episodes, the wording of Disney’s statement does have people wondering if Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette season will air at some point in the future.

As a refresher, the Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said, “…We have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time.” So could “at this time” leave room for a change of heart in the future, especially because not airing the season could potentially cost ABC tens of millions of dollars? Never say never, I suppose. We expect the saga will continue to develop in the coming week, so stay tuned for new updates.

Is The Bachelorette Canceled?

While Disney and ABC made the decision to pull The Bachelorette Season 22 from the network’s lineup, The Bachelorette itself hasn’t officially been canceled at this time. Before, during, and after this entire saga played out, longtime fans of the Bachelor franchise (and even Bachelor Nation alum) said the latest mishap in a long line of mishaps could and should mark the end of The Bachelor shows.

In recent seasons, the Bachelor franchise has come under fire for epically failing Bachelorette Jen Trann in her disastrous finale, casting several Golden Bachelorette contestants with orders of protection filed against them, proudly championing a Golden Guy who said he didn’t want to date women over 60, and so much more. The Bachelorette Season 22’s nightmarish, downright irresponsible saga is yet another disturbing reminder that the franchise has no problem putting its leads in precarious positions and setting stars up for failure in pursuit of shock value and ratings. But only time will tell the fate of the franchise.

What Else Should I Know About Taylor Frankie Paul’s Season Of The Bachelorette?

Decider has been covering Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette season from the very start, so if you’re curious about her cast, details around the cancelation, and what this means for the franchise, here are some articles to read:

• ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 22 Cast: Meet Taylor Frankie Paul’s Men
• Taylor Frankie Paul Accused Of Spoiling ‘The Bachelorette’
• ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 22 Was Doomed To Fail When Producers Cast Taylor Frankie Paul For All The Wrong Reasons
• ABC Dumps ‘The Bachelorette’ After Taylor Frankie Paul’s Domestic Violence Video Surfaces
• ‘The Bachelorette’ Cancelation Could Cost ABC Tens of Millions Of Dollars
• If ABC Is Going To Cancel Taylor Frankie Paul’s Season Of ‘The Bachelorette’, Hulu Should Do The Same For Dakota Mortensen’s Cameo On ‘Vanderpump Villa’

Stay tuned for more Bachelorette coverage from Decider.