When ABC put The Bachelorette on pause for 2025, fans of the franchise thought it would never come back. But in a surprise announcement this week, the network revealed that the show is coming back even sooner than expected. It will return in 2026 with someone not connected to Bachelor Nation as the lead.
Longtime fans of the TV dating franchise reacted negatively to Taylor Paul Frankie and vowed to boycott. Why is the Hulu reality star so controversial? Keep reading to find out more about the situation.
Unexpected Season 22 Bachelorette Announcement
Taylor Frankie Paul was announced as the Season 22 Bachelorette lead. She is one of the stars of the hit Hulu reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Taylor Frankie Paul went viral in 2022 after revealing on TikTok that she and her husband were part of a “soft swinging” friend group. She defined “soft swinging” as hooking up but not going all the way.
Taylor Frankie Paul from Instagram, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star
The revelation ultimately ended her marriage after she broke the rules set in her marriage about the extracurricular activities. She welcomed two children with her ex-husband before they divorced in 2022 after the scandal broke.
She also has a child from a relationship after her divorce. Her relationship with Dakota Mortensen was featured on Season 2 of the Hulu show. Season 3 of the hit reality show premieres in November.
But it won’t interfere with Taylor Frankie Paul handing out roses to her suitors.
Fans Boycott Show Over New Lead
The news of Taylor Frankie Paul as the next Bachelorette seemed out of the blue. But we reported back in June that she jokingly auditioned for the show. It seems ABC liked what they saw and thought she would be perfect for Season 22.
Two of her Secret Lives co-stars, Whitney Leavitt and Jennifer Affleck, are competing on the new season of Dancing With The Stars.
There has been a mixed reaction to Taylor Frankie Paul as the next Bachelorette. Former stars of the show think she’s just what the franchise needs after Jenn Tran’s season ended in disaster.
While Bachelor Nation alums may be excited, some viewers aren’t. One viewer took to social media to declare a boycott. They wrote, “The choice is wrong and what the contestant has done goes against my principles. I’m refusing to watch.”
Many others chimed in that they won’t watch either.
“If they wanted to bring in a lead with a bigger following, fine. But someone with a history of domestic violence wasn’t the answer.”
“I am so skeeved out by this. There is no way I will watch any of the franchise ever again”
“Someone convicted of Domestic Violence that involves children present to witness the behavior is not something I’ll spend my time watching on TV.”
“If a male lead had the same history we would be boycotting.”
Taylor Frankie Paul was arrested on domestic violence charges in 2023 after an argument with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. She allegedly threw a chair at her ex but hit one of her children instead. The Hulu star recently spoke out about the incident.
Does that make you not want to watch this season?
Season 22 of The Bachelorette is reportedly airing in early 2026 in place of The Bachelor.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger Latest posts by Jennifer Havener (see all)
