The Bachelorette is reportedly very likely to air Taylor Frankie Paul's season on ABC next month.
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According to production sources, there is talk behind the scenes about The Bachelorette premiering its 22nd season in mid-July, although final plans have yet to be locked in, TMZ reported.
The sources said that when ABC axed Taylor's season in March, The Bachelorette editors continued cutting episodes. Since the editing team never truly stopped working on Season 22, the network allegedly kept the door open for it to air in the future.
Another insider told TMZ that ABC has been testing its audience to find out how they feel about Taylor these days, now that several months have passed since The Bachelorette was canceled, which marked the height of her controversy.
ABC has also reportedly noticed Taylor's recent attempts to rehab her image on social media by posting about healing, therapy, growth and more.
Speculation that Taylor's The Bachelorette season would be released on Hulu sometime this summer has swirled in the last couple of months.
"I think that as the court decides that she's more and more able to be with her child full time, it's likely we could probably see the series," The Bachelor alum Ashley Iaconetti told Us Weekly.
In addition to Taylor dealing with backlash over the shocking 2023 video leak, Dakota accused Taylor of domestic violence in February.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star has since been in a custody battle with Dakota over their son Ever True, 2. (Taylor is also mom to son Ocean, 6, and daughter Indy, 8, with ex-husband Tate Paul).
After about two-and-a-half months of supervised parenting time, a Utah commissioner ruled on June 1 that Taylor could begin spending unsupervised time with Ever.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWThe former couple's custody arrangement will be revisited at their next court date on July 8.
"The hope is in July -- the July 8 date -- that she'll get custody back in some capacity and then, perhaps, that's when [ABC] will be like, 'Well, if she has custody of her kids, I guess we can air the show,'" Ashley said during the June 17 episode of "The Ben & Ashley I: Almost Famous Podcast."
Earlier this month, Ashley predicted that if Taylor does, in fact, win -- or have a favorable ruling -- at her next court date with Dakota, she thinks The Bachelorette "is going to air on Hulu in August."
"This is just what my gut has been whispering to me," Ashley shared. "I'm assuming she's going to get custody back."
If Dakota wins custody of Ever, however, Ashley said she doesn't think The Bachelorette's 22nd season will air -- at least not any time soon.
"I think, for some reason, to me, this says August, which is, like, six months after it was supposed to air," Ashley noted.
"And it's still saying, 'Hello, it's still summer time,' [that] summer TV, The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise window."
And former The Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe recently shared that she really wants Taylor's The Bachelorette season to air.
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"Obviously, I love Taylor!" Kaitlyn said.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
She added of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, "I want to see! I want to see how she'd probably -- they would let her be herself, you know?"
While he didn't confirm whether Taylor's The Bachelorette season will ever air, Disney executive Rob Mills recently said that things will be taken "one day at a time" but he hopes viewers will eventually see the "wonderful" and "fantastic" season.
Although many fans are waiting for The Bachelorette's return, The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise are definitely scheduled to air new seasons in 2027.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
