After months in broadcast limbo, Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette season appears to be making a comeback. According to production sources, ABC is eyeing a mid-July premiere for the reality dating show—marking the first real movement on a project that was quietly shelved back in March.
The delay came after an intense video surfaced showing Taylor and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, in a heated altercation where metal barstools were hurled. The incident forced ABC to pull the season entirely and pause production on her other series, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, as concerns mounted over the couple’s volatile dynamic. At the time, it looked like the season might never see the light of day.
But here’s where it gets interesting: even after the network pulled the plug, the editing team never stopped working. That’s network-speak for“we’re keeping the door cracked open.”Meanwhile, ABC has been quietly testing how audiences feel about Taylor now—several months removed from the controversy. The network noticed her recent social media posts about personal growth and healing, and those efforts appear to have registered with decision-makers. Taylor and Dakota both have restraining orders against one another and are working through a custody dispute, but the legal complications haven’t completely derailed the project.
It’s a calculated gamble on ABC’s part. Reality TV thrives on the messy and the dramatic, but there’s a line between compelling drama and genuine concern. Whether mid-July actually happens depends on a lot of moving pieces, but one thing’s clear: those roses might finally get handed out after all.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.