Inside The Bachelorette crisis that could ruin ABC: Lawyers called in after shock cancelation… Taylor Frankie Paul’s OTHER dirty secret is outed… and network execs face mutiny

The Bachelor reality franchise is no stranger to controversy or scandal.

But never has a scandal seen a series scrapped so close to the premiere – until Taylor Frankie Paul.

On Thursday, three days out from the scheduled Sunday premiere of the 22nd season of The Bachelorette, network bosses dramatically pulled the entire season, following days of disturbing domestic violence allegations. 

There had been growing calls for the decision. 

Paul, the 31-year-old star who found infamy on TikTok then The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, is the subject of an active police investigation for allegedly attacking her former partner, Dakota Mortensen, in February. 

The pair, who share a two-year-old son, Ever, have a checkered past. In 2023, she pleaded guilty to aggravated assault after throwing a chair at him and inadvertently hitting one of her children.  

Despite knowing of her conviction, ABC still pushed ahead with a lucrative contract offer and promotional campaign. The series was filmed earlier this year. Frankie Paul was even pictured at the Oscars on Sunday night, rubbing shoulders with A-list stars. 

Behind the scenes, anger was growing over why ABC – which has been quick to cancel male stars over less violent controversies – were standing by her. 

The final straw came on Thursday, when TMZ released a disturbing, unignorable video of the 2023 incident. 

It shows Paul seemingly attacking her ex, and her young child crying after being caught in the cross-fire. 

The shock and outrage among fans was immediate. Within hours, ABC announced it was canceling the show.  

‘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 network said in a statement.

A source added: ‘ABC was not aware of the video until it was released [Thursday]. The decision to cancel the show literally just came in. The video is what pushed the decision over the edge because, as of yesterday, the show was still going on as planned. The [male contestants] are in shock and feel very violated by everything they’re seeing.’

The Daily Mail can reveal that the decision came after a frenzied week full of hasty and tense meetings. 

Earlier this week, network bosses at ABC had been scrambling to come up with a crisis plan, as calls for a ‘Bachelorette boycott’ gained traction online, with some claiming Paul’s casting was ‘a terrible decision’ and ‘a desperate attempt for an audience grab’.

‘No one is happy,’ an insider told the Daily Mail on Wednesday. ‘It’s a crisis situation. The timing couldn’t be worse, and the network has been trying to decide what to do. There was talk about postponement, but it won’t work for a variety of scheduling reasons.’

After the cancellation, the insider now adds that there are fears the fallout could ‘derail the [entire Bachelor] franchise and cost everyone a lot of money. 

‘The ABC lawyers are involved.’

Meanwhile, the cast and crew are said to have been left blindsided. Another source told the Daily Mail that a meeting had been scheduled on Thursday with all 22 male contestants, but was then pushed back – presumably to allow time for the cancellation to be announced first.

‘Advertisers were pulling out and shareholders were p**sed! They could lose millions,’ an insider said of the reasoning behind the cancellation.

But aside from the violent criminal allegations, one of the biggest hurdles producers reportedly felt unable overcome was how to ‘sell the story of finding true love and happy endings’.

Despite announcing their breakup in May 2025 following a three-year on-off relationship, Paul is said to still be ‘addicted’ to her ex – a secret that, if true, raises serious questions about her intentions on The Bachelorette.

Similar issues are also being felt over on the set of Mormon Wives.

‘Production [on Mormon Wives] has been halted for a while now due to Taylor and Dakota’s volatile relationship… This has been a pattern for a few weeks,’ an insider said, adding that the other wives are ‘sick’ of how ‘difficult’ Paul has made their lives of late.

‘Taylor and Dakota have the most toxic relationship. She has this addiction to him that she can’t break. It’s so bad,’ the insider added.

‘Taylor may not come to terms with the fact that she has this ‘addiction’ to Dakota but those in her inner circle are well aware. They can’t escape each other.

‘She has an addiction to a toxic relationship with Dakota and that’s going to cause a lot of tension in any new relationship she gets into.’

The pair clearly had unfinished business, with Mortensen revealing on season four of Mormon Wives, which dropped last week, that he and Paul had hooked up the night before she left for The Bachelorette filming.

In new photos obtained by The Sun, Paul was seen arriving at a residence in Los Angeles with a rumored Bachelorette finalist this past Saturday, reportedly to shoot additional scenes.

Filming for the series had officially wrapped in December, but when additional shooting has happened in the past it has been to film a break-up – suggesting Paul’s romance may have been short-lived.

Paul first broke her silence on the ongoing domestic assault investigation during an appearance on Good Morning America on Wednesday, the day before the Bachelorette’s shock cancellation.

‘Honestly, it’s been a heavy time to see the headlines, especially during the time of the Bachelorette being released,’ Paul said. ‘I’m a person that will always speak my truth – that’s what I’m known for. So, when the time is right, I will be.’

Then, following the publication of the TMZ and the show’s cancellation Thursday, a spokesperson for Paul told People magazine: ‘Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security. 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.’

In a statement, Mortensen hit back, saying: ‘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. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same.’

On Thursday, Mortensen also filed for a restraining order against Paul. A hearing has been set for April 7.

Paul, who rose to fame posting TikTok videos with other Mormon mothers, remains on probation for her 2023 charge of aggravated assault in the third degree.

A judge informed Paul during a hearing that took place in February last year that she ‘is to continue on Good Behavior Court Probation’ and ‘is not to have any alcohol or illegal drugs while on court supervision.’ 

A new criminal charge would violate her probation. 

‘We should never have built [the show] around her,’ a Bachelorette insider said. ‘We knew that she was volatile, there was the incident a couple of years ago. Why would we create a season around her? It’s just asinine.

‘She really f****d us over. Everyone is upset. Everyone feels like we put together such a great season, a satisfying season. And now this. It’s a nightmare.’

‘There are breakout bachelors, a lot of drama. Some sweet moments. Everyone was so happy with how it turned out, and now this has ruined everything.’

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for ABC, Hulu and Paul for comment.