Here's Everything We Know About Why Clare Reportedly Quit 'The Bachelorette'

The past few days have been extra drama-filled for Bachelor Nation, and there isn't even a show airing right now. Fans found out the upcoming season of The Bachelorette might not be what they were expecting, as multiple reports have said Season 16's lead Clare Crawley is being replaced by Tayshia Adams. But why did Clare Crawley reportedly leave The Bachelorette and give up her coveted spot at the helm of the series? The prominent theory circulating Bachelor Nation is that she may have already found love.

At first, the idea Clare quit The Bachelorette was only a rumor — one that can be tracked back to a July 30 Life & Style report that Clare had quit because she had fallen for one of her contestants, Dale Moss. A viral July 31 Reddit thread backed up this theory when the anonymous owner of a Bachelor spoiler account (using the username Throwawayspoiler2020) wrote that Clare canceled filming and Tayshia Adams was being called in to replace her.

Now, it's looking like this theory might be reality, as multiple reports have said Clare is out as the lead and that she and Dale are together now. Though ABC has not commented on Elite Daily's request for confirmation about the Clare-Dale-Tayshia news, according to a report from People, Clare and Dale may have struck up a romance before filming even began. "One of her potential guys found a way to get in touch with her and they began talking," a source reportedly told People, presumably referring to Dale. "By the time filming officially began, they were basically already in love. No one else stood a chance. It just became so obvious from her subsequent few dates that her heart wasn’t in it and she just wasn’t feeling it. Then she said she wanted out."

There are still some unknown facts about the situation, which fans should honestly expect by now from The Bachelorette. "There's more to the story than just [Clare] falling for someone and not wanting to see what else could happen with other men," the source told People.

Whatever the story is, it seems the 39-year-old hairdresser may have really found a strong connection with the 31-year-old ex-NFL player, and that's the leading theory on why she reportedly left The Bachelorette, and why Tayshia is reportedly taking her place as lead.

It's unclear exactly how the upcoming season will play out, but an Entertainment Tonight source confirmed Clare left the show on "good terms" with producers, and that her journey will "still be part of" the season. So, it sounds like Tayshia Adams and Clare Crawley will both be Bachelorettes in Season 16, with Clare spearheading the start of the season and Tayshia taking over soon after.

On Aug. 3 — the day many of the reports of Clare's departure were published — The Bachelorette social media accounts posted a new teaser of Clare in a darkened room, alluding to the fact she will still be part of the season. ABC has not made any official announcements about the situation, but if two Bachelorettes means there will be double the drama, fans are in for a wild season.

The Bachelorette is set to air Tuesdays this fall on ABC.