Commentary: ABC thought Taylor Frankie Paul would amp ‘Bachelorette’ ratings. It was playing with fire

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“What were they thinking?”

Everyone involved with “The Bachelorette” – from the show’s creators to ABC, Hulu, and Disney’s lawyers – is currently focused on this key question.

ABC announced on Thursday that the upcoming season of “The Bachelorette,” set to premiere this Sunday, has been put on hold. This decision comes after a second investigation into a domestic assault involving the show’s lead, Taylor Frankie Paul, who also stars in and produces “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” A video surfaced showing Paul pleading guilty to aggravated assault in a previous case, and filming for the fifth season of “Mormon Wives” has also been stopped.

The video is deeply upsetting, not primarily because Paul physically attacks his partner, Dakota Mortensen – including putting him in a headlock and throwing bar stools – as such scenes are common on some reality TV shows. The real distress comes from the presence of a young child. During the attack, a bar stool nearly hits the camera, causing Paul’s five-year-old daughter, Indy, to start crying. Mortensen asks Paul to comfort her child, but Paul continues the assault. When Mortensen tries to help Indy, Paul yells at him to stay away from her.

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The reality star was about to appear on a dating show, but that plan was disrupted when someone from ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ tried to connect the two shows. What will happen next?

During a 2023 court case, a police report revealed that a child, Indy, suffered a head injury – described as a “goose egg” – during an incident involving Paul. Paul was initially charged with aggravated assault, child abuse, and domestic violence. She later pleaded guilty to a single count of aggravated assault, a serious felony, and the other charges were dropped. Paul received probation and a plea of abeyance, meaning the assault charge could be reduced to a misdemeanor in August 2026 if she fulfills the terms of her probation. Paul admitted to having consumed alcohol before the incident.

Should a new criminal charge be made after the current investigation, all bets are off.

Did the video footage, or the potential for criminal charges, lead to ABC pausing the current season of “The Bachelorette”? And ultimately, does the specific reason even matter?

Despite learning that Paul had been accused of domestic violence resulting in injury to her child, ABC surprisingly decided to cast her on The Bachelorette.

What were they thinking?

Many believed audiences were drawn to raw and unfiltered content, and Paul, a 31-year-old woman, perfectly embodied that trend. She became a social media sensation by creating MomTok, a TikTok community where married Mormon women shared humorous and honest content, often challenging the norms of their religion. Paul quickly gained a large following with her candid and relatable posts. After openly discussing her and her husband’s involvement in “soft swinging” with other Mormon couples, the community exploded in popularity, leading to the creation of the web series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” which began with an episode titled “The First Book of Taylor.”

The show’s first season, sparked by a controversy known as the “soft-swinging” scandal, quickly gained attention thanks to Paul’s honest conversations about her personal life – becoming Hulu’s most popular unscripted premiere of 2024. The following three seasons continued to draw viewers as the “MomTokers” navigated the challenges of fame, relationships, and personal conflicts, all while interest in shows like “The Bachelor” began to decline.

From a data-driven perspective, it’s understandable why people thought Paul could add excitement to “The Bachelorette,” given the success of shows like “Sister Wives.”

I’ve noticed Paul isn’t about subtle hints; she makes it very clear when something’s wrong, practically waving red flags! And honestly, it’s fascinating – and a little scary – to watch the people at ABC, Hulu, and Disney react. They rush in with this intense, almost frantic energy, like bulls charging a cape. It rarely ends well for them, though, which is a shame.

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Taylor Frankie Paul, known from the Hulu series ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,’ will be the next star of ABC’s ‘The Bachelorette.’ She’s continuing a trend of cast members moving from the Hulu show to the popular competition series.

Her divorce from her first husband, Tate Paul, with whom she shares two children including Indy, stemmed from a period of emotional instability. This was followed by a difficult relationship with Mortensen, with whom she has a young son named Ever, all documented on “Mormon Wives.” In 2023, she was arrested – an event she described as a low point in her life, despite a past TikTok video where she jokingly boasted about reckless behavior. Season 4 of the show revealed she was in a compromising situation with Mortensen – despite claiming they had broken up – the morning she was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles for “The Bachelorette.” She did eventually make the trip. The season concluded with the uncertainty of whether Paul might be expecting a child.

Combining contestants from different reality shows is now incredibly common – shows like “Dancing With the Stars” and “The Traitors” rely on it. However, there’s often little consideration given to the fact that not all reality shows are created equal. For example, producers of “The Bachelorette” seemingly disregarded concerns from viewers who doubted one contestant, Paul, was genuinely looking for love. Reports suggest they even gave Paul special treatment, like unrestricted phone access during filming, privileges not granted to other participants.

They clearly wanted the ratings miracle that Paul’s unvarnished wildness had lent “Mormon Wives.”

Many reality shows prioritize casting people who will create conflict and excitement. While it’s understandable that some people might willingly isolate themselves with strangers for a chance at love, fame, or money, there’s almost always someone chosen to be deliberately disruptive. As with all TV, reality shows are struggling to keep viewers, so they’re increasingly relying on more extreme and attention-grabbing personalities to keep things interesting.

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I’ve been really fascinated watching Taylor Frankie Paul rise to fame. She’s become this huge personality on TikTok, especially within the ‘MomTok’ community and with her series ‘Mormon Wives.’ What’s so captivating is how incredibly open and honest she is – she just shares everything, and honestly, it makes for really compelling viewing.

It’s well-known that reality TV has a history of disturbing scandals – from tragedies like suicides to issues like racism, sexual assault, and harmful behavior of all kinds. These problems often disrupt the shows themselves. However, audiences seem drawn to the drama, and even thrive on it – the more chaotic the lives portrayed, the more popular the shows become.

However, sometimes mistakes are so significant that even viewers who usually overlook flaws can’t ignore them.

After nearly 25 years, the “Bachelor” franchise should have anticipated this controversy. They’ve faced scandals before, but casting someone with a conviction for assaulting their own child was a huge risk – and now it’s backfired.

Clearly they hoped she would rekindle the dying embers of the show.

Instead, she burnt it down.

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2026-03-21 13:31