ABC Pulls Upcoming ‘Bachelorette’ Season Amidst Video Controversy
ABC has made the drastic decision to pull the plug on the upcoming season of “The Bachelorette,” starring Taylor Frankie Paul, just days before its scheduled premiere. The network cited the emergence of a recently surfaced video from 2023 as the catalyst for this unprecedented move, which impacts a season that had already been filmed.
The announcement came on Thursday, with Disney Entertainment Television issuing a statement expressing their rationale. “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,” the statement read.
This statement appears to directly address a video published by TMZ on Thursday, which reportedly depicts an altercation between Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. The incident, which occurred in 2023, led to Paul’s arrest and charges including aggravated assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child. She subsequently pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault in August of that year, with other charges being dismissed.
A spokesperson from the Draper City Police Department in Utah confirmed to People magazine that an ongoing domestic violence investigation involving Paul and Mortensen was active. Allegations have reportedly been made from both parties. Mortensen is the father of one of Paul’s three children.
Paul, who was actively promoting Season 22 of “The Bachelorette” as recently as Wednesday, appearing on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and gracing the red carpet at the Oscars, represented a departure from the show’s typical casting choices. At 31 years old, she had no prior history within the “Bachelor” franchise, a notable deviation from the usual practice of selecting runners-up from previous seasons.
Her casting did, however, offer a degree of synergy for Disney, as Paul also features in “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” a reality series available on Hulu. Both ABC and Hulu fall under the Disney umbrella. When her casting was confirmed in October, ABC highlighted Paul’s influence, crediting her with “igniting ‘MomTok’ and going viral for pulling back the curtain on Salt Lake’s soft-swinging scene.”
Paul gained significant traction as an influencer within the #MomTok community, a popular online space where women affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share aspects of their lives on TikTok. Her personal life garnered public attention in 2022 when she announced she had “stepped out” of an agreement with her husband regarding relational boundaries, leading to their eventual divorce.
This situation raises questions about the vetting process for reality television stars and the impact of personal controversies on their public-facing careers. The abrupt cancellation of “The Bachelorette” season underscores the sensitivity surrounding such issues and ABC’s commitment to its brand image. The focus now shifts to supporting those affected by the events and navigating the fallout from this unexpected turn of events. The future of the “Bachelorette” franchise and the network’s approach to casting and content moderation will undoubtedly be under scrutiny following this significant decision.
