ABC cancels new Bachelorette season after abuse allegations against its lead

The upcoming season of The Bachelorette has been cancelled after domestic violence allegations emerged against its lead, Taylor Frankie Paul.

ABC confirmed it had decided not to move forward with the new series after footage surfaced appearing to show an altercation between Paul and her former partner, Dakota Mortensen, in 2023.

The video, published by TMZ, prompted the network to take action shortly before the programme’s planned premiere.

A spokesperson for Disney, which owns ABC, said the decision was made “in light of the newly released video just surfaced today”.

The new season had been scheduled to launch on Sunday, but the network has not yet confirmed what will replace it in the broadcast schedule.

Paul, a TikTok influencer and reality television personality, had already been arrested in connection with the 2023 incident.

According to US media reports, she later pleaded guilty to aggravated assault.

Her spokesperson said she is now focused on her family and preparing to address the situation publicly.

“She is prioritising her family’s safety and preparing to own and share her story,” the statement said.

Mortensen, who is the father of Paul’s third child, also issued a response following the renewed attention on the incident.

He said he is concentrating on the wellbeing of their son.

“I am focusing on our son and his safety,” he said.

Before the cancellation was announced, Paul had appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America to promote the upcoming season.

During the interview, she acknowledged the impact of the allegations.

“Honestly, it’s been a heavy time to see the headlines, especially during this time of ‘The Bachelorette’ being released,” she said.

“It was supposed to be a really exciting time.”

The controversy has also affected another project involving Paul.

Production on the fifth season of the Hulu series Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has been paused.

Paul appears on the show alongside other influencers, and her co-star Mikayla Matthews said the cast had collectively decided to stop filming.

“We didn’t feel comfortable filming with everything that was happening,” Matthews said in a statement on social media.

Paul first gained attention online as part of #MomTok, a group of young mothers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah who share content on TikTok.

She became widely known in 2022 after revealing details about her marriage and subsequent divorce, which included relationships with other couples.

Those events were later featured in Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, further increasing her public profile.

The cancellation of The Bachelorette marks a significant disruption for ABC, removing one of its major reality television programmes from the schedule at short notice.

It also raises questions about how networks handle casting decisions and respond to emerging allegations involving high-profile participants.