ABC Cancels Taylor Frankie Paul's The Bachelorette Season Just Days Before Premiere

This article contains discussions of domestic abuse.

Huge news from ABC: the network is canceling Taylor Frankie Paul's season of "The Bachelorette" just three days before it's set to start airing, per several outlets (including Variety).

The reason for this shakeup is genuinely quite dark. Paul, who just days ago appeared at the 98th Academy Awards — and got an on-air special after the Oscars ceremony concluded to promote her new role as the network's eligible bachelorette — is under fire due to allegations of domestic abuse on Paul's behalf toward her former partner Dakota Mortensen.

A video surfaced on March 19 that unequivocally shows Paul hitting Mortensen, and with Paul's wild Hulu series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" on hold as Utah police investigate claims, ABC is pulling her entire "Bachelorette" 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 from Disney Entertainment Television told Variety.

For weeks now, Taylor Frankie Paul has been on a press tour for her season of "The Bachelorette," and the whole time, she's been forced to face her demons. During the first season of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," audiences saw footage of a 2023 incident where Paul attacked Dakota Mortensen, the father of her third child. Though the show tried to focus on her life after this assault, many viewers did wonder why a woman with extremely credible accusations of abuse was being platformed, and this issue continued to come up during Paul's promotions for "The Bachelorette."

During said press tour, Paul told People on March 17 that she was doing her best under difficult circumstances. "Honestly, just like, my heart hurts to see it, to go through it, especially at this time," Paul said of the headlines regarding her checkered past. "Just the timing is hard, and it's a big deal. I feel like every premiere that I've experienced, I've never enjoyed fully, so this is another one... it's extremely hard, and it took everything to get me here today." Paul continued:

"It's just heavy. It's a heavy time, and it's unfortunate. I'm struggling for sure, but also at the same time I feel like if I don't show up, then I'm just giving these opportunities away and not enjoying what we've worked on and something super exciting that's coming. I just feel like it was the right thing to do... show up even though it's hard."

With Us Weekly also reporting that an appearance by Paul on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" was canceled even before "The Bachelorette" news broke, it looks like networks are distancing themselves from Paul in the wake of the allegations.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.