On Thursday, the upcoming season of "The Bachelorette" was abruptly pulled from the airwaves, as a spokesperson for Disney announced that the show would not be proceeding with its new season in light of a leaked video depicting its star, Taylor Frankie Paul, physically attacking the father of one of her children.
Paul, a reality television star who was slated to lead the new season, which was to premiere on Sunday, has been under intense scrutiny in recent days after it was revealed that she was facing a domestic violence investigation, years after pleading guilty to aggravated assault in a separate incident.
Despite initial indications that ABC, which broadcasts "The Bachelorette," was committed to airing the show as planned, TMZ published leaked footage on Thursday of a physical altercation from 2023 that showed Paul, who rose to fame in the reality series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," putting her partner, Dakota Mortensen, in a headlock and throwing metal chairs at him.
"In light of the newly released video that surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of 'The Bachelorette' at this time," the Disney spokesperson said in a statement. "Our focus is on supporting the family."
The "Bachelor" franchise has faced its share of controversies in the past, but this is the most significant fallout in the show's history. Through a spokesperson, Paul said she is "very grateful for ABC's support as she prioritizes her family's safety and security." The statement added: "She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story."
The police in Draper, Utah, confirmed this week that there is an ongoing domestic violence investigation related to Paul and Mortensen, who is now her ex-boyfriend. The police said that the encounter occurred after Paul had wrapped filming for "The Bachelorette," but during production for the upcoming season of "Mormon Wives," which has since been paused.
As of Wednesday, plans for Paul to star in one of reality television's biggest franchises were still intact. In an appearance on "Good Morning America" as part of her promotional tour, Paul addressed the news of the investigation.
"Honestly, it's been a heavy time to see the headlines, especially during this time of 'The Bachelorette' being released, and it's supposed to be a really exciting time," she said. "I'm a person that will always speak my truth and that's what I'm known for. So when the time is right, I will be. But right now, I'm just trying to be in the present moment and focus on this."
The decision by Disney executives to pull the season was swift and decisive after the video was published on TMZ's website on Thursday afternoon, according to two people familiar with the decision-making process. Once the video was made public, executives including Debra OConnell, chair of Disney Entertainment Television; Craig Erwich, TV president; and Rob Mills, executive for unscripted programming, quickly concluded that proceeding with the season would be untenable.
Pulling the season will be a significant financial hit for Disney. The company pays Warner Bros., which produces the show, a hefty license fee for the episodes, which can total in the tens of millions of dollars. A preview for the season aired on Sunday night in a prime-time slot after the Oscars broadcast. Warner Bros. declined to comment.
Television executives were aware that Paul had been charged with domestic violence when they cast her. The first episode of "Mormon Wives" included police body camera footage of that arrest. Producers of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" have faced past criticism for failing to properly vet contestants.
Paul, 31, first gained public prominence in 2022 when, as a TikTok influencer and mother of two, she announced in a livestream that she and her husband had decided to divorce after "soft swinging" with other Mormon couples in their Salt Lake City-area friend group. "Mormon Wives" premiered the next year, following Paul and the other members of the group of women who called themselves MomTok. The show's four seasons, the most recent of which debuted on March 12, have closely followed Paul's relationship with Mortensen, the father of her third child.
A lawyer for Mortensen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. After the 2023 encounter that was captured on video, Paul was charged with aggravated assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child. In an affidavit filed with state court in Salt Lake County, an officer said he was called to a home in Herriman, Utah, after a neighbor told police that they could hear screaming and yelling coming from across the street. The officer said when he approached the home, he witnessed Paul — whom he described as "intoxicated" — pushing and hitting Mortensen.
Mortensen reported that Paul had thrown her phone, a wooden play set and two heavy metal chairs at him, the court papers said. She then threw another chair, which struck their daughter, who was 5 years old at the time, in the head, according to the filing. During a follow-up interview, a detective was informed that the child had a "goose egg" on her head, according to the court papers. The charges filed against Paul included child abuse whether "intentionally or knowingly."
The police were in possession of a video of the earlier encounter that showed Paul kick Mortensen, put him in a chokehold and strike him multiple times, according to court papers. "Dakota was observed with redness and swelling around his eyes, swelling on his elbow, scratches on his fingers and a laceration on his neck," an officer wrote in a declaration filed with the court.
After completing a parenting course, Paul reached a deal in which she pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, and had the other charges dismissed. She submitted a plea in abeyance of 36 months, meaning a court would review the remaining charge in August 2026 and potentially lessen it to a misdemeanor if she complied with the terms of supervised probation. A new criminal charge would violate her probation. In a mental health assessment filed with the court in 2023, Paul told a counselor that she had drunk alcohol at a friend's home earlier that night and that she did "not recall much" after arriving back home. She told the counselor that she had not found any signs of injury on her daughter.
