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ABC Pulls ‘The Bachelorette’ Following Taylor Frankie Paul Domestic-Incident Video Leak

An ongoing domestic-violence investigation was launched by police in Utah involving Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen

ABC Pulls ‘The Bachelorette’ Following Taylor Frankie Paul Domestic-Incident Video Leak

Taylor Frankie Paul at “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” Season Two L.A. premiere on May 9, 2025

JC Olivera/“Variety”
Angie Martoccio
By Angie MartoccioMar 20, 2026
Angie Martoccio
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It’s official: ABC has pulled the plug on the latest season of The Bachelorette, amid Taylor Frankie Paul’s ongoing domestic-violence investigation.

Paul, a TikTok influencer and star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives known for her “soft-swinging” lifestyle, was a controversial choice to lead the latest season of The Bachelorette, particularly when it was revealed that there was an ongoing domestic-violence investigation launched by Utah police involving Paul 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 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 said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, a spokesperson for Paul said, “Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” adding, “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.”

In 2023, Paul was arrested after allegedly choking and throwing stools at Mortensen, with one of the stools allegedly hitting her daughter from a previous relationship. “Your daughter just got hit in the head by a metal chair,” Mortensen says in the video.

Paul pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated assault, while other charges were dismissed. Her relationship and pregnancy were captured on Season One of Mormon Wives, and alleged footage of the incident was leaked on Thursday. Paul and Mortensen have one child together — Ever True, born in March 2024 — while she has two children from her first marriage.

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