AceShowbiz - Immediately following the Oscars on Sunday night, ABC aired a special titled The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose, featuring former Bachelorettes offering guidance to the franchise's new lead, Taylor Frankie Paul, ahead of her highly anticipated season.

Although Taylor Frankie Paul is a newcomer to Bachelor Nation and notably the first Bachelorette chosen from outside the franchise, she is no stranger to reality television. The 31-year-old initially gained recognition through Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which had just launched its fourth season. Paul also rose to prominence as the founder of MomTok, a Utah-based influencer collective centered on motherhood, and she is a mother of three herself.

Following the airing of the special, TMZ and People reported that production on season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was paused due to an alleged domestic incident involving Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, the father of one of her children. With investigations reportedly underway, questions remain about potential effects on Paul's upcoming season of The Bachelorette, scheduled to premiere Sunday on ABC at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. ABC has not issued any official statement on the matter.

The special began with Paul preparing for the first night of her journey. She openly admitted to feeling nervous while speaking with the producers as she arrived at the iconic Bachelor mansion, where host Jesse Palmer welcomed her. “I admire all the women who stood before me,” she said entering the house. “Stepping into this role as the Bachelorette will be new for me. There’s a lot of unknowns. I’m scared. I need some help.”

Inside, a group of former Bachelorettes, all clad in matching red sweatsuits, greeted Paul warmly, welcoming her into their sisterhood. One of her initial questions was how to navigate the possibility of developing feelings for more than one contestant during the process.

Kaitlyn Bristowe, the season 11 Bachelorette, shared her experience, explaining how it is possible to fall for multiple men simultaneously while on the show. “I did a few things wrong,” she admitted candidly. The conversation then cut to a flashback clip from her season, showing when she invited contestant Nick Viall to her hotel room following a one-on-one date, where they became intimate. This moment was controversial at the time because it occurred weeks before Fantasy Suites week, which is traditionally the only period when couples are allowed private, off-camera time together.

Coming into the franchise as an outsider, Paul confessed she was unfamiliar with Fantasy Suites and asked whether such situations truly occur. The former leads advised her to maintain honesty with all the men throughout the season.

Hannah Brown, who led season 15, reflected on one of her most memorable moments. She recounted facing pressure from contestant Luke Parker—widely viewed as the villain of her season—to disclose whether she had been intimate with anyone during Fantasy Suites week. Parker assumed she had not and told her he would quit the show if she had.

The special also revisited poignant scenes from previous seasons where contestants unexpectedly left near the end of the journey. Clips included moments from the seasons of Katie Thurston, Ali Fedotowsky, Desiree Hartsock, and Rachel Lindsay, featuring men who voluntarily departed despite strong connections with the leads.

Paul admitted, “My biggest fear in this is that I’m the one who gets heartbroken,” revealing the vulnerability she feels stepping into the role.

Additionally, the former Bachelorettes offered advice on spotting contestants who might be there for the wrong reasons. The special highlighted infamous instances from prior seasons, such as when Emily Maynard—the only other Bachelorette who was also a mother—sent a contestant home after he referred to her daughter as “baggage.” Another clip showed Ali Fedotowsky confronting Justin after discovering he had secretly maintained a girlfriend back home.

The special concluded with a teaser for Paul's upcoming season, showcasing her journey as she embraces the experience of falling in love while also standing firm when needed. One contestant, Shane, described her as “gentle and sweet—until you piss her off.”

In another tense previewed moment, Paul confronts a contestant accused of having slept with one of her friends before coming on the show. The footage also shows her taking back roses during a rose ceremony, indicating that drama will be front and center this season.

This special served as an insightful introduction to how Taylor Frankie Paul plans to navigate her season with honesty, self-awareness, and emotional strength, setting the stage for what promises to be a dramatic and captivating installment of The Bachelorette.