ABC Cancels Taylor Frankie Paul's Bachelorette Season

ABC has canceled the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, starring Taylor Frankie Paul, following the release of a video showing her physically assaulting her ex-boyfriend in 2023. The network made this decision days before the show's scheduled premiere on Sunday.

The leaked footage depicts an altercation between Paul and Dakota Mortensen, with their young daughter present. In the video, Mortensen is heard saying, 'Your daughter just got hit in the head by a metal chair!' as crying from their five-year-old child can be heard. This incident is part of an ongoing domestic assault investigation by the Draper City Police Department in Utah.

A Disney spokesperson stated that the decision to cancel the season was made 'in light of the newly released video just surfaced today,' emphasizing that their focus is on supporting the family involved, as reported by CBS News. Paul's representative criticized Mortensen's actions, calling them 'a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior.'

Paul was previously arrested in 2023 for domestic violence against Mortensen and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. She is currently serving three years' probation. The cancellation comes amid ongoing controversies surrounding Paul, including a paused production on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, another show she stars in under the Disney umbrella.

In a teaser at the end of the premiere episode of “The Bachelorette” Season 22 — the sole screener ABC provided media outlets to watch before the series was yanked Thursday — Paul tearfully admitted to a past domestic violence incident. 'I was very lost in every aspect, and I came home mad one night and we got in a fight. I’ve never drank since that night. I got my act together. I got in major therapy, and I’ve been in that ever since,' she said.

Paul's past resurfaced days before the season was set to start. Season 22 seemed intended as a refresh for “The Bachelorette,” following its lowest-rated season in franchise history. Paul, known for her honesty on Hulu’s hit series 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,' had been seen by showrunner Scott Teti as an authentic reality-TV star.

ABC has not announced whether the canceled season will air at a future date. This decision follows last season's controversy involving Devin Strader, who had a restraining order filed against him by a girlfriend in 2017 after allegations of physical assault. The network continues to face scrutiny over its handling of such incidents.

The cancellation also casts a shadow on Paul's other projects, including The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, where production has been paused pending further decisions about her involvement. According to the Los Angeles Times, Paul had previously described her relationship with Mortensen as an addiction and acknowledged the toxicity in their dynamic.

Cinnabon has ended its partnerships with both The Bachelorette and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives following the surfaced allegations. A company spokesperson told Entertainment Weekly that 'Recent developments and allegations surrounding the lead cast member [Paul] led us to reassess this collaboration as it no longer aligns with our brand values.'

The decision highlights ongoing discussions within Disney about vetting failures and oversights in reality TV, particularly as the company seeks to maximize the reach of its unscripted assets across ABC and Hulu. The cancellation raises questions about how such controversies will impact future collaborations between these platforms.