Recommendations of the Editorial team
It’s official: ABC has put the new season of “The Bachelorette” on hold – amid the ongoing domestic violence investigation into Taylor Frankie Paul.
Paul, TikTok influencer and star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, was already a controversial choice to star in the new season when it was revealed that police in Utah had opened a domestic violence investigation against her and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen. Production on the fifth season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has also been paused.
“In light of the new video that surfaced today, we have decided not to continue the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ for the time being. Our focus is on supporting the family,” a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson told Rolling Stone.
Accusations and guilty pleas
In February 2023, Paul was arrested after she allegedly choked Mortensen and threw stools at him – one of which allegedly hit her daughter from a previous relationship. She pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault; further charges were dropped. Their relationship and pregnancy were documented on the first season of “Mormon Wives,” and footage of the incident was leaked on Thursday.
When Paul commented on the headlines on Tuesday, she told People: “It hurts my heart to see this, to go through this again – especially at this point in time. The timing is just hard, and this is a serious thing. I don’t think I’ve been able to fully enjoy a single premiere that I’ve experienced – this is another one of them… it’s incredibly difficult, and it took everything I had to be here today.”
