Bachelorette Season Axed Amid Domestic Dispute Revelations
A new season of the popular American dating reality show, The Bachelorette, has been abruptly cancelled by ABC following the surfacing of a disturbing video. The footage appears to depict the season’s intended star, Taylor Frankie Paul, involved in a physical altercation with her former partner.
Paul, 31, who was slated to lead the 22nd series of the show, had been in a relationship with Dakota Mortensen, 33, since the summer of 2022. The couple confirmed their separation in January 2025, just as their son, Ever, celebrated his second birthday. Paul is also a mother to Ocean, 5, and Indy, 8, from a previous marriage. Her involvement in The Bachelorette was set to follow her appearances on the reality series Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
The decision to pull the plug on the new season was confirmed by Disney Entertainment Television. In a statement, the network announced: “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 video in question, published by TMZ, reportedly shows an incident from 2023 where Paul is seen throwing chairs at Mortensen. Crucially, the altercation appears to have occurred in the presence of Paul’s daughter.
Further details emerged from an indictment obtained by People, which alleged that Paul threw “heavy, metal chairs” at Mortensen. The indictment also claimed that Paul’s daughter was struck by a chair during the incident. In 2023, Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and is currently serving a three-year probation period. Charges related to child abuse, domestic violence in the presence of a child, and criminal mischief were subsequently dismissed.
Dakota Mortensen, speaking to Entertainment Weekly, expressed his distress over the situation. “As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation,” he stated. Mortensen also addressed what he termed “baseless claims” about him and their relationship, which he categorically denies. His priority, he emphasised, is the safety and well-being of their son.
A spokesperson for Taylor Frankie Paul issued a strong rebuttal to Mortensen’s statements, describing them as part of a “never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child.” The spokesperson criticised the timing of the video’s release, coinciding with their son’s birthday, as a “reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behaviour.” They suggested that the public is familiar with this pattern of manipulation.
A source close to the situation told Entertainment Weekly that Mortensen denies being responsible for the video becoming public. Adding another layer of complexity, People reported earlier this week on an ongoing “domestic assault investigation” involving both Mortensen and Paul. A representative from the Draper City Police Department confirmed that allegations have been made in both directions, with contact made with the involved parties on February 24th and 25th.
Prior to the network’s cancellation announcement, Taylor Frankie Paul appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America. During her interview on Wednesday, she acknowledged the difficult period and the impact of the headlines, particularly with The Bachelorette‘s release imminent. She also confirmed that filming for the fifth season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives had been halted.
Mikalya Matthews, a co-star of Paul’s on Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, shared on social media that the decision to stop filming was a collective one made by the cast. “We didn’t feel comfortable filming with everything that was happening,” she explained.
The situation surrounding The Bachelorette‘s cancellation highlights the significant impact real-life events can have on television productions, particularly when they involve allegations of domestic violence and child endangerment. The focus now shifts to the well-being of the children involved and the ongoing investigations.
