2 hours ago
3
ABC canceled Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” following a recent alleged domestic abuse dispute with her ex, Dakota Mortensen.
The decision also comes after the release of a disturbing 2023 video that shows Paul throwing chairs at Mortensen during a previous domestic violence incident.
The network said in a statement on Thursday, “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.”
Paul’s other reality show, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” halted production on Season 5 last week amidst an investigation into another alleged domestic violence incident between Paul and Mortensen that allegedly occurred in February.
Paul already filmed and was doing press for Season 22 of “The Bachelorette,” which was set to premiere Sunday, March 22.
A group of 22 men were selected to vie for Paul’s heart.
She went on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday to promote the ABC series and compared the investigation into the latest alleged domestic abuse incident to “the end of the world.”
“It’s hard to see past this — I’m not going to lie — in this moment, it’s just so heavy,” she told host Lara Spencer.
“When your life is broadcasted out there in these headlines, it’s like the end of the world, that’s what it feels like — I’m not going to lie. I will say I’ve been here before and I got through it and I’ve shared my story and my light, and I’m hoping I can do that again,” she added.
She also addressed the drama on Tuesday at a press preview for “The Bachelorette,” telling People that she was upset over the “timing” of the alleged February incident.
“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,” she said.
Paul’s legal drama began in 2023 when she was arrested for alleged domestic violence after a fight with Mortensen. She was subsequently given misdemeanor charges of assault, criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child.
The charges were later dropped.
On Thursday, TMZ released a video of Paul throwing multiple chairs at Mortensen during their 2023 fight.
One of the chairs hit Paul’s 8-year-old daughter Indy, who was 5 at the time.
After police arrived, Mortensen — who shares 2-year-old son Ever with Paul — told officials that Paul was “hammered” and he was “sober.”
A spokesperson for Paul told TMZ that the video “conveniently omits context” and accused Mortensen of being on a “never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child.”
A few days before the video came out, news broke about a domestic abuse investigation regarding a February incident between Paul and Mortensen.
A Draper City, Utah Police Department spokesperson told People that “contact was made with involved parties on [Feb.] 24th and 25th” in the alleged incident, noting that accusations had been leveled “in both directions.”
During the Season 4 finale of “SLOMW” that came out March 12, it was revealed that Paul and Mortensen hooked up the night before she left to film “The Bachelorette.”
In a confessional, Mortensen said, “I’d be lying if I didn’t think there was a piece of me that just kind of wanted to go … see her [and] be with her, like, possibly for the last time.”
English (US)