ABC has pulled the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, which starred Taylor Frankie Paul, citing a newly released 2023 video. The network announced the unprecedented cancellation Thursday — days before the season’s planned Sunday premiere — saying, “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,” a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson told CBS News.
The statement appeared to reference a TMZ-published 2023 video involving an altercation between Paul and her ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen. Paul was arrested in 2023 and charged with aggravated assault and other offenses, including domestic violence in the presence of a child. She pleaded guilty in August 2023 to a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault; the remaining charges were dismissed.
Draper City, Utah, police told People magazine there is an open domestic-assault investigation into Paul and Mortensen and that “allegations have been made in both directions.” The Draper City Police Department confirmed People’s report to CBS News. Mortensen is the father of one of Paul’s three children. Representatives for Mortensen did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a statement Thursday night, Paul’s spokesperson said she is “very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security.” The statement added that Paul had “spent years silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation” and is “finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected.” It said Paul has been silent out of fear of “further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming” and is exploring her options and preparing to share her story.
ABC did not disclose plans for the show’s time slot.
Paul had been promoting Season 22 of The Bachelorette as recently as Wednesday on Good Morning America and appeared on the Oscars red carpet. Her casting was notable because, unlike typical leads chosen from former Bachelor contestants, the 31-year-old had not previously appeared on the Bachelor franchise. She also stars on Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives; both Hulu and ABC are owned by Disney. When ABC announced her casting in October, it credited Paul with “igniting ‘MomTok’ and going viral for pulling back the curtain on Salt Lake’s soft-swinging scene.”
Paul gained attention as a #MomTok influencer and drew headlines in 2022 when she said she had “stepped out” of an agreement with her then-husband regarding relationships with other couples; the couple later divorced. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiered in 2024. While Season 4 of that show was released last week, production on Season 5 had already been paused amid the investigation. Co-star Mikayla Matthews said on Instagram that the cast collectively decided to halt filming because they “didn’t feel comfortable filming with everything that was happening.”
Paul had posted in December that filming on The Bachelorette had wrapped. The series is hosted by Jesse Palmer.
