Fans will no longer get to see Taylor Frankie Paul handing out roses while looking for love on The Bachelorette.
Bachelor Nation stars have sounded off about the news after ABC pulled the plug on Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette on Thursday, March 19, and confirmed it will no longer premiere on Sunday, March 22.
The announcement came after a video showing a physical altercation between the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star and her ex Dakota Mortensen from 2023 made headlines.
A Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson told Us Weekly, “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.”
Taylor’s casting on the show has been under scrutiny for weeks amid reports surfacing about her alleged conduct prior to filming. During a scene of SLOMW, her costars found out that Mortensen claimed he had slept with Taylor the night before she left for Bachelor Mansion.
Earlier this week, a spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department told People on March 16 that there is currently an open “domestic assault investigation” regarding Taylor and Dakota.
A spokesperson for Taylor told TMZ on March 19, “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,” the rep added on her behalf. “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.”
Dakota, for his part, said his No. 1 priority is “protecting their [their 1-year-old son], Ever,” a rep for the reality star told Entertainment Weekly on Wednesday, March 18, while shutting down rumors that Mortensen was the reason the domestic investigation has been made public.
“He knew there was a possibility it could come out, but he was not going to be the one to proactively do that because he has always wanted a decent relationship with Taylor,” the rep shared. “It’s been really hard to achieve that, but he wants to coparent well.”
Many stars have praised the network for canceling Taylor’s season due to the message it sends. Keep scrolling to see which Bachelor Nation alums addressed news of this season being axed.
Jillian Anderson“As a former Bachelor contestant, I can tell you that ABC thoroughly vets every part of your personal history. Given that Frankie Taylor Paul already had a public profile, it’s hard to believe they didn’t know exactly who she was going in to this season,” the season 19 alum posted via X.
Carolina Quixano“The most dramatic season yet indeed ???? #thebachelorette,” the season 29 Bachelor contestant captioned an Instagram video that had the message “thoughts and prayers” paired with audio stating “God’s timing is always right.”
Sam McKinney“What did you expect? What did anybody expect?” the season 21 Bachelorette contestant said in a video posted via his Instagram Stories. “Imagine getting the villain edit … America’s not buying that s***. If anybody watched my season, if there’s one thing that you can learn from is that you reap what you sow. The truth will always come out.”
Jill ChinThe season 26 Bachelor contestant said in an Instagram video that producers should have gone with rugby player Iloha Maher, who would “never” have done any of what Taylor was accused of, adding, “That’s who’s deserving of falling in love on a national stage.”
Thomas Jacobs“So I just tried to watch a very disturbing video and I couldn’t get through it,” the season 17 Bachelorette contestant said in a clip via Instagram Stories. “What I just saw is something that honestly makes me sick and to continue to support this and to ask [an] audience to support this and encourage this behavior and celebrate it … it just is so dang wrong.”
He said it all just needs to “get scratched.”
“I truly don’t believe this season should air,” the season 18 Bachelor contestant, who was later cast as lead in season 16 of The Bachelorette, wrote in part in a statement shared via Instagram Stories, detailing the “pressure” that comes along with filming the show. “For her benefit and for everyone involved. The responsible decision is to pull it and prioritize accountability, support, and real healing — away from the spotlight. I also believe ABC and Hulu should stand firmly behind a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to abuse — regardless of who it is.”
Blake Horstmann“Wow never thought this would happen,” the season 14 Bachelorette alum wrote via Instagram Stories. “I do think this is the right move. I feel terrible for the producers and all the people behind the scenes who worked 20 hr days through out her season. A lot of them really do care and put everything they have to make sure this show is successful.”
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.
