News outlets are reeling with the released 2023 video of Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.
So is ABC, who has decided to scrap the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, in which Paul was supposed to star.
Bachelorette Cancelled
Shortly after TMZ published the startling video of Taylor Frankie Paul and Mortensen, The Bachelorette was axed just three days before the season premiered on ABC.
A Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson told outlets, “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision not to move forward with the new season of “The Bachelorette” at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”
The first episode was set to premiere on Sunday, but has since been replaced with an American Idol re-run.
Along with the 2023 vieo, Taylor Frankie Paul is also facingn growing controversy over a separate domestic assault investigation.
Current and Past Allegations
Details about Paul’s 2023 legal trouble began sprouting up days before her Bachelorette debut, however, the dam broke when TMZ published the video of Paul and Mortensen.
In the video, the pair were embroiled in an altercation, with Paul fighting her ex Mortensen. Not only did Paul grab Mortensen’s head, but throws multiple metal barstools at him.
Mortensen yells at her that, “Your daughter is sitting right there!” A child can be heard crying in the background, which police later believe the daughter was struck with one of the metal stools.
Paul was arrested on three misdemeanor charges of assault, criminal mischief, and domestic violence in the presence of a child. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault, while the other charges were dismissed.
Now, Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen are back in the spotlight. The Draper, Utah Police Department confirmed with People they were investigating an ongoing domestic assault case.
While the details have not been released, the police claim allegations have been made on both sides.
This has prompted Paul’s other show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives to pause production of the newest season.
Unusual Star for the Show
Taylor Frankie Paul stood out on the cast of The Bachelorette, not just because of the recent resurfaced video.
Unlike other leads in the series, the reality star had never appeared on the Bachelor franchise before. Normally, the show casted runners-up from previous seasons as the lead.
However, she did have an ace up her sleeve, starring on the Hulu reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Both ABC and Hulu are owned by Disney.
During her casting news, ABC credited Paul with “igniting ‘MomTok’ and going viral for pullling back the curtain on Salt Lake’s soft-swinging scene.”
Responses from Paul and Mortensen
Paul’s representative spoke to People, commenting that Paul “is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security.”
The representative added, “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”
Mortensen also added his opinion about the released video to E! News, stating that “as anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation, I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny.”
ABC’s Future Decisions About Show
The Bachelor franchise has faced controversy in it’s history before, but nothing to this caliber.
ABC has never had to resort to tossing an entire season before, and will probably come with a large price tag. As of now, ABC has not commented on whether the season is permanently canceled or if it will air on a platform in the future.
Critics have chimed in on the decision, claiming there was no way the network didn’t know Paul was a precarious choice to begin with, with many of her legal and other troubles shown on television.