‘The Bachelorette’ Canceled by ABC Following Release of Shocking Video From 2023
Just days before Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was set to air, ABC canceled the show. Paul, who was doing press for her season this week, faced allegations of domestic violence from her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. Police say she also made allegations against him. After a video of an altercation between Paul and Mortensen from 2023 leaked, ABC decided not to move forward with the season.
ABC canceled ‘The Bachelorette’ following a leaked video of Taylor Frankie Paul throwing chairs
In 2023, police arrested Paul. They charged her with assault, criminal mischief, and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child. She pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated assault. The other charges were dropped.
Today, a video of the incident leaked. In footage obtained by TMZ, Paul hits and attempts to choke Mortensen as he films her. At one point, he tells her, “This is called physical abuse.”
Later in the video, Paul begins throwing metal chairs at Mortensen while her daughter is present in the room. Mortensen tells her, “Your daughter just got hit in the head by a metal chair.” The child cries in the background.
This leaked video appears to have been the final nail in the coffin for Paul’s season of The Bachelorette. The allegations from earlier this week angered many fans, and Disney decided to cancel the season.
“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 spokesperson told Today.
Paul’s season of The Bachelorette would have aired on March 22.
A rep for Taylor Frankie Paul responded to the video
A representative for Paul criticized Mortensen following the release of the 2023 video.
“It’s sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child,” they told People. “Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is, and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences.”
At this time, Paul has yet to respond to the cancellation of her season of The Bachelorette.
Those close to her expressed worry about her well-being
News of The Bachelorette’s cancellation comes just days after Paul’s other show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, paused filming for the season. A source close to Paul said that the people in her life are concerned about her.
“We’re all worried for Taylor’s well-being,” they told People. “We want Taylor to get the help she needs.”
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
