Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – “The Bachelorette,” one of America’s highest profile reality TV shows, was cancelled Thursday just days before the new season was due to air, after video emerged of the show’s star hurling furniture at her ex-partner, in an incident that apparently injured her daughter. Disney-owned ABC had widely promoted the 22nd season of the show, in which 22 men compete for a relationship with a single woman, including trailing it during Sunday night’s Oscars gala.
But on Thursday, the network yanked the glossy series — whose $2 million episodes began filming last year — over shocking footage of a domestic altercation involving “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul. “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,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to AFP. “Our focus is on supporting the family.”
The video, obtained by entertainment outlet TMZ, shows Paul lashing out at Dakota Mortensen, her partner at the time. In the footage, apparently filmed by Mortensen on a mobile phone, Paul rains abuse on him, kicks him and gets him in a headlock. She then begins to throw metal stools across the room at him, one of which appears to be deflected towards her young daughter. Mortensen can be heard asking her to stop and urging her to see to her crying child, as she continues to scream abuse at him.
The incident took place in Utah in February 2023, according to police, who arrested Paul on multiple charges, including domestic violence in the presence of a minor. While the footage is new, Paul’s arrest and subsequent conviction were featured on earlier seasons of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” Questions will now likely be asked as to how much due diligence producers of “The Bachelorette” did before casting the lead to the Sunday night prime-time show, which had pricey sponsorship deals with brands including Cinnabon.
Paul, a social media influencer, went viral in 2022 after revealing that she and her then-husband had been “soft-swinging” with other Mormon couples. The Hulu show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” followed the catty fallout from the revelation among a group of Utah-based TikTok influencers, and has so far run for multiple seasons.
Paul, 31, has not commented on the matter via her social media channels but local media outlets carried a statement from one of her representatives in which the reality star says she is “very grateful for ABC’s support.” “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.” “She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
© 2024 AFP
