The postponement follows a difficult stretch for the franchise. Domestic assault allegations against The Bachelorette lead Taylor Frankie Paul led ABC to halt her season entirely. The network has not aired the footage.

Rob Mills, Disney’s head of unscripted entertainment, confirmed there is no plan yet for distribution. “I think her season is a wonderful season, by Bachelor standards. If it gets seen, I’m sure people will absolutely enjoy it,” he told Deadline.

“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,” Mills added. Talking about the day the controversy surfaced online, Mills stated the immediate priority was human, not corporate. “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,” he said.

Mills also acknowledged the weight of the moment. He described the franchise as “almost a perfect format” and emphasized its resilience across two decades of highs and lows. “However The Bachelor comes back next year, it will be done with a lot of thoughtfulness and care,” Mills stated.

“I do think better days are ahead for the franchise.” Furthermore, Mills wants The Bachelor mentioned in the same breath as Dancing With the Stars and American Idol, aka legacy formats that reinvented themselves after rough patches. For now, fans will have to wait and watch whether this happens or not.