Taylor Frankie Paul's canceled Bachelorette men eyed for next Bachelor

ABC’s decision to pull Taylor Frankie Paul’s shelved Season 22 of The Bachelorette has quickly turned into a broader franchise test: how much controversy can the network absorb before it starts reshaping the next Bachelor as a hedge against risk. The canceled season had already been built around 22 men and was set to premiere March 22, 2026 on ABC before streaming the next day on Hulu.

The network dropped the season after a newly released video surfaced involving an alleged 2023 domestic violence incident between Paul and Dakota Mortensen. ABC said it would not move forward “at this time” and that its focus was on supporting the family. Paul was 31 when ABC named her as the next Bachelorette, and the casting broke with franchise history because she had never appeared on The Bachelor or been tied to the franchise in any way before being selected.

Now the men cast for Paul’s season are suddenly part of the next phase of the rollout. Casting for Season 30 of The Bachelor is underway, and an undisclosed number of men from Paul’s canceled season are being considered for the franchise’s next lead. Dual auditions are also happening, with production evaluating both the next Bachelor and the group of potential contestants who could be paired with him. The season could slip to next January, but an early 2027 premiere is still expected.

For the contestants, the pause has created a very public holding pattern. Some have started reacting on social media, while others have stayed quiet, likely because of franchise contracts or because the situation involves Paul’s personal life as much as the show. Brad Ledford, a 29-year-old cowboy and entrepreneur from Newport Beach, California, said he cared more about the real children and family involved than a television show.

Paul’s season had already been seen inside the industry as a high-risk bet. Her appeal on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives came from the same mix of visibility, volatility and unresolved personal conflict that now complicates ABC’s scheduling and casting plans. The situation became even more difficult after reporting that Paul had also been under investigation for a separate alleged 2024 domestic violence incident involving Mortensen. ABC is still trying to protect the brand while keeping the audience curious, and the next Bachelor search suggests the network is using Paul’s abandoned season as a talent pool instead of a dead end.