Is casting shake-up at ‘Bachelorette’ coming?
LOZ ANIGLGZ >> As if shooting “The Bachelorette” under quarantine wasn’t enough drama, ABC’s female-fronted reality show has been rocked by more real-life twists that will play out on screen in the upcoming season.
Over the weekend, rumors began to swirl that “The Bachelorette” lead, Clare Crawley, would be replaced by “Bachelor” alum Tayshia Adams when a Reddit user posted that Crawley had fallen in love with a contestant early on and refused to continue filming.
While both ABC and Warner Bros. TV have declined to comment about the on-set bombshell, sources saythe reports that have surfaced over the weekend are not entirely accurate.
However, insiders have clued Variety in on the fact that there is some validity to the rumors that Crawley and Adams could swap in the leading lady position during the season. In other words, Crawley — the woman who was originally cast as “The Bachelorette” for Season 16 — will not be completely replaced, and her dramatic storyline will air during the season.
“It’s shaping up to be a very interesting season creatively with lots of twists and turns,” a production insider tells Variety.
Even if Crawley had fallen in love with a contestant early on throughout filming, a cast member cannot make the decision to depart the show on which they are under contract. However, if the production team believes a cast departure could benefit the storyline, the switch could certainly happen.
Adding more fuel to the fire, late this weekend, Crawley briefly liked a tweet about Adams becoming “The Bachelorette,” before un-liking the post on Twitter.
“Bachelor” cast members are not allowed to have their phones during the duration of the shoot, so Crawley’s social media interaction brings about questions of her whereabouts.
Moreover, Variety hears that texts were not going through to Adams’ phone this past weekend, which could indicate she is, indeed, on set.
ABC typically declines to comment on any production rumors regarding the franchise.