ABC has canceled The Bachelorette’s 22nd season, which was about to start on March 22 after its premiere date had been scheduled for three days. The first time the network made this decision happened after TMZ showed a 2023 graphic video that showed Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen fighting during their relationship.
A Disney Entertainment spokesperson announced the cancellation on March 19 when he said that the network decided to stop the season because they wanted to protect the involved families after they discovered new evidence.
The franchise had never before experienced this situation because the entire filmed season needed to be put on hold because of its star’s behavior.
Leaked Footage and Legal Implications
The network ceased its operations because of a three-minute video that showed Paul attacking Mortensen. The video shows Paul attacking his partner by kicking her and throwing heavy metal bar stools at her.
The public reaction to the incident reached critical levels because people could hear Paul’s young daughter, who wept while Mortensen screamed that someone had hit him with a chair.
Paul entered a guilty plea for a misdemeanor of aggravated assault in August 2023, yet ABC faced an impossible case because of the raw footage made public.
The Draper City Police Department confirmed that they were investigating a domestic assault case involving the two people who had been reported to the police for incidents that occurred in February 2026.
Production Halts and Reality TV Fallout
The accusations against Paul have created widespread consequences that affect his media projects beyond the ABC dating show. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives needs to stop production of its fifth season because Hulu Network investigators need time to investigate new allegations.
The cast had planned to film until 2026, according to sources, but the legal situation forced producers to stop filming so they could verify whether the location was safe.
The future of Paul’s television career faces serious risk because sponsors have started to withdraw support after she announced her “struggling” condition during press events while she serves three years of probation from her 2023 conviction.
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