ABC executive Rob Mills has revealed that he hopes Taylor Frankie Paul's The Bachelorette season will still be released for Bachelor Nation to watch at some point.
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RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
But the future of The Bachelorette appears to be in limbo.
Rob told Deadline Hollywood that he doesn't know whether The Bachelorette's 22nd season will ever air on ABC or stream on Hulu.
Rob said executives are taking things "day by day" -- but he hopes the season won't be discarded due to Taylor and ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen's highly-publicized domestic assault dispute and custody battle.
"We're sort of taking it a day at a time. I think her season is a wonderful season, by Bachelor standards. If it gets seen, I'm sure people will absolutely enjoy it," Rob confirmed.
ABC decided to cast Taylor on The Bachelorette's 22nd season last year, even though The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star's reputation preceded her.
Taylor, a mother of three who refers to the fathers of her children as her “baby daddies,” made headlines for a soft-swinging cheating scandal involving her ex-husband Tate Paul, whom she divorced in 2022. She was later arrested in 2023 on multiple assault charges following a fight with Dakota.
The Bachelorette was scheduled to premiere on March 22, but ABC announced its decision to cancel Taylor's season on March 19 after a 2023 video of Taylor physically and verbally attacking Dakota with her daughter present leaked online.
"The day all of that stuff happened, really our first sort of concern was really for Taylor and the family and everyone involved in that, it was really more on a human level," Rob recalled.
When the alarming 2023 video surfaced online, Taylor was already under investigation for domestic violence allegations that Dakota had made in February to two different Utah police departments.
Because The Bachelor and its spinoffs are produced by Warner Horizon, which will soon be owned by Paramount, many fans are wondering whether Taylor's season of The Bachelorette will eventually air on another network or streaming platform.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWBut Rob said there have been no conversations about The Bachelorette season being licensed elsewhere.
"I think if there's something that absolutely says very clearly, one way or the other, that points in that direction, you'll know," Rob teased.
"But right now, there's really just nothing to say other than, it is a great season and I hope that, at some point, Bachelor Nation gets to see it."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
Rob reiterated to Variety in a separate interview how Taylor's The Bachelorette season "is really, really fantastic."
"It was a great journey for her," he noted.
Rob also insisted that Taylor had pure intentions going into The Bachelorette.
"I had met with Taylor [before officially casting her]. She had said, 'Look, I'm raising three kids with different fathers; one, I have a phenomenal co-parenting relationship with. The other one is a challenge, but I'm really looking for a partner and somebody who can help me,'" Rob shared.
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Rob continued to explain, "Obviously, with everything that happened and everything everyone's going through, that's the hard part. Everything that Taylor's had to go through has been really hard."
When The Hollywood Reporter asked Rob if The Bachelorette will return, Rob said The Bachelor franchise is viewed "as a whole," meaning The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, The Golden Bachelor, The Golden Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise are essentially all the same to executives.
"So whatever the right stories are for us to tell, that's what we're going to tell," Rob shared.
"I wouldn't say this has to do with just The Bachelorette in general. I think when we have the right people to tell whatever iteration of The Bachelor franchise, we're going to tell it."
He elaborated, "That also goes for The Golden Bachelor and whoever else's story we can tell in this incredible format."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Rob clarified that even if ABC chooses to air two The Bachelor seasons in a row, it doesn't mean The Bachelorette is finished. He said ABC's goal is to tell the best story under this franchise umbrella.
"I would say that, whatever the right story to tell is, nothing is off the table," he concluded.
Dakota filed for a protective order against Taylor on March 19, which was the same day ABC had announced its decision to cancel The Bachelorette's 22nd season.
Taylor filed her own request on April 7, alleging a "pattern of abusive conduct and coercive control" during her on-again, off-again relationship with Dakota.
During an April 7 court hearing, a judge granted Dakota temporary custody of the son he shares with Taylor. Taylor was only given up to eight hours per week of supervised visitation with Ever True, 2.
On April 8, Taylor was granted her own temporary restraining order against Dakota.
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Prosecutors reportedly explained that some of the alleged incidents occurred more than two years ago and therefore fall outside the statute of limitations.
Prosecutors said other allegations either did not "rise to the level of criminal offenses" or lacked specificity and "sufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges."
While officials confirmed that the investigations will not impact the MomTok creator's probation status stemming from her 2023 arrest and indictment, Taylor was placed on a 36-month probation period, which is scheduled to end on August 24, 2026.
The custody arrangement will remain in place until the pair's next court hearing scheduled for April 30, when a judge is expected to review their dueling protective orders.
In the meantime, Hulu -- who paused production on Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives in mid-March amid Taylor's legal issues -- announced last week that filming will resume. Taylor reportedly has an open invitation to make an appearance or join the cast.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
Click here to read all the spoilers for Taylor's The Bachelorette season and find out her winner and how her journey ended.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
