ABC has decided to cancel the new season of The Bachelorette starring Taylor Frankie Paul just days before it was set to begin because of a 2023 video that has resurfaced in the news cycle.
The network announced on Thursday that it would not air the season that had already been filmed and was set to begin on Sunday. This is unexpected news for this popular reality television show.
Disney Entertainment Television released a statement regarding this decision. It said, “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”
This statement was probably in reference to a 2023 video released by TMZ on Thursday that allegedly depicted Paul and her then-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, in an altercation.
Paul was arrested in 2023 and charged with aggravated assault and other charges, including domestic violence in the presence of a child. Paul entered a guilty plea in August 2023 for a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault and had the other charges dropped.
A police spokesperson in Draper City, Utah, where Paul and Mortensen live, told People that there is currently an ongoing domestic violence investigation into both Paul and Mortensen. The allegations have been made against both of them. Mortensen is the father of one of Paul’s three children.
The representatives of Paul and Mortensen did not respond to requests for comments.
The network’s statement did not indicate how it plans to fill the vacant time slot.
Paul had been promoting Season 22 of The Bachelor as recently as Wednesday. She had been on Good Morning America and other Oscar-related events. Paul’s casting as The Bachelorette lead is unusual. She had not been on The Bachelor. The leads on The Bachelor have traditionally been past contestants.
Paul’s casting as The Bachelorette is part of Disney’s strategy to promote its programming. Paul is also featured on Hulu’s reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Disney owns Huluney. When Paul’s casting was announced in October, ABC said that Paul had helped popularize “MomTok,” which is a community of Mormon women on TikTok who share their experiences.
Paul gained popularity in 2022 after opening up about her “soft-swinging” arrangement and her divorce.
Taylor Frankie Paul announced on her Instagram in December that filming of The Bachelorette, which Jesse Palmer hosts, had been completed.
