Just three days before its scheduled debut, ABC has officially pulled the plug on Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette, People reports.
The show was set to premiere Sunday, March 22.
Turbulent history
In a statement on Thursday, March 19, a spokesperson for Disney Entertainment Television said, “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.”
The shocking footage, first reported by TMZ, reportedly shows Paul throwing chairs at her ex, Dakota Mortensen, while a child was nearby.
Paul and Mortensen began dating in summer 2022 and share a son, Ever, who turned 2 on Thursday. Paul is also mom to daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5½, from her previous marriage to Tate Paul.
The couple’s turbulent history has been documented on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives since its 2024 debut.
Paul confirmed her breakup with Mortensen, 33, in January 2025, saying on Instagram, “I cry every day,” and describing how she struggled with “the quiet after the chaos,” missing time with her kids, and dealing with inconsistency.
Earlier this week, sources told People that filming on season 5 of Mormon Wives had been paused due to “serious issues” tied to Paul’s past.
”Number one priority”
A Draper City Police Department spokesperson confirmed an ongoing domestic assault investigation involving the pair, noting allegations were made by both sides and that authorities contacted them on Feb. 24 and 25.
A representative for Mortensen told Entertainment Weekly that his “number one priority” is protecting their son, adding that he has chosen not to speak publicly in hopes of resolving the situation privately, and that he wants a healthy co-parenting relationship with Paul.
The 2023 incident that sparked the video led to Paul’s arrest for alleged domestic violence and misdemeanor assault charges, including domestic violence in the presence of a child. CBS News reported at the time that Paul also faced child abuse allegations after a chair she allegedly threw struck her daughter.
The footage released March 19 appears to show part of that incident, with Paul throwing chairs at Mortensen while her daughter Indy is in the room.
The child can be heard crying as the argument continues. During a 2025 appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Paul said the charges in the case “were all dropped.”
At one point in the video, Mortensen says, “This is called physical abuse,” adding, “Your daughter just got hit in the head by a metal chair.” Court documents obtained by People indicate Paul’s daughter was allegedly struck by “heavy, metal chairs” — consistent with the video.
Paul’s spokesperson responded to the video, saying, “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.
Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior.
Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences.”
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