Taylor Frankie Paul is in full filming mode for her season of The Bachelorette, and even though ABC is keeping things sealed tight, the internet is already way ahead of them.
The first big spoiler — the identity of one of her final four men — has been pieced together by fans, who connected the dots after Taylor was spotted out on what was very clearly a hometown date.
She and a contestant were seen wandering around Union Square in New York City, browsing Christmas trees and looking very much like a couple meeting the family later that afternoon. Once photos started circulating online, the sleuthing kicked in fast. From there, Reality Steve stepped in to confirm the speculation: the contestant is Shane Parton.
If his name rings a bell, it’s because he had already been tied to one of Taylor’s early dates — the football-themed one-on-one.
Last month, Taylor was photographed attending the Las Vegas Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys game with a mystery man whose face wasn’t quite shown. She even posted a TikTok from the sidelines wearing an oversized varsity jacket with a guy’s arm (and a football) barely in the frame. Her caption, “Catch us on the kiss cam,” immediately sent fans into chaos with many wondering if she had secretly started dating someone new while filming.
@taylorfrankiepaul Catch us on the kiss cam
Eventually, fans put two and two together: the guy in the TikTok wasn’t a boyfriend — he was a contestant on The Bachelorette. Viewers were briefly confused about how she was even allowed to post something that spoiler-adjacent, but many pointed out that every season leaks anyways, so producers might be letting Taylor lean into the buzz.
Once TikTok user @themillenialswiftie shared a video of the actual kiss-cam moment, internet detectives officially matched the man to Shane Parton. And honestly, the football setting could not be more fitting — his Instagram bio reveals he’s a former Division 1 football player for Stetson University.
Whether Shane makes it past hometowns or gets cut afterward remains a mystery for now, but he’s locked in as one of Taylor’s final four. The rest of the drama — and the romance — will unfold when The Bachelorette Season 22 premieres Sunday, March 22, 2026, on ABC.
