The future of one of ABC’s hit reality TV shows is up in the air after the network decided to cancel Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette amid domestic violence allegations.
A source exclusively tells Us Weekly that the network does not currently have plans to bring in another Bachelorette as a replacement for Taylor, 31. The insider adds that before Taylor’s season was canceled, ABC had their eyes on potential contenders for the next season of The Bachelor, but there has been no news about the future of that show either.
ABC announced its decision to cancel Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette on Thursday, March 19 — days before the season was set to premiere.
“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,” a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson told Us in a statement.
What Will Air Instead of ‘The Bachelorette’ After Cancellation?
Hours earlier, TMZ released footage of Taylor physically assaulting and throwing multiple chairs at her ex Dakota Mortensen — with whom she shares son Ever, 2 — during an incident in February 2023. (Taylor also shares daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul.)
Taylor was arrested following the incident and charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse and criminal mischief. Us confirmed Taylor pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault in August 2023 as part of a plea deal to drop the other charges. If she abided to the terms of the deal for three years, the charge would be downgraded to a misdemeanor.
“It’s sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child,” Taylor’s spokesperson told TMZ in a statement on Thursday. “Releasing an old and selectively edited video on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior.”
Dakota, 33, was later granted a temporary protective order against Taylor and awarded temporary custody of their son, per documents obtained by Us.
In a separate statement on Thursday, Taylor’s rep reacted to ABC’s decision to cancel her season of The Bachelorette.
Bachelorette’s Taylor Spoke With Cast About Dakota ‘Several’ Times
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” the statement read. “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.”
The statement continued, “There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives. Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
