The Bachelorette Season 22 Officially Canceled Amid Taylor Frankie Paul Controversy

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The release of ABC’s season 22 has been canceled amid a new round of controversy.

ABC has decided to cancel the upcoming season of The Bachelorette starring Taylor Frankie Paul, reports Variety. This decision follows new allegations of domestic violence and the release of a video from 2023 showing Paul in a physical altercation with her former partner, Dakota Mortensen.

The new season was originally scheduled to begin on March 22nd, but the network has now canceled it. A Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson announced that they have decided not to proceed with Paul’s season of the show.

Following the recent release of a video, we’ve decided to postpone the new season of The Bachelorette and are currently focused on supporting the affected family.

Credit: Disney/Sami Drasin

The decision follows growing controversy surrounding actress Paul and her ex-partner, after a video released by TMZ showed Paul throwing chairs during a fight. One chair reportedly hit their daughter, Indy, 8, while their 2-year-old son, Ever, was also present. Paul and her ex-husband, Tate Paul, who also share a 5-year-old son, Ocean, separated in 2022 following a scandal that brought attention to their family and gained them notoriety online. Paul was arrested after the incident and initially faced charges including assault and domestic violence in front of a child. She later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated assault with the understanding that the charge will be dropped if she meets certain requirements, and other charges were dismissed.

Details are scarce regarding the recent claims of domestic violence. Reports surfaced earlier this week stating that the former couple is under investigation for a domestic assault. The alleged incident occurred last month, and while police confirmed contact with both individuals on February 24th and 25th, they haven’t released further information due to the ongoing investigation by the Draper City Police Department in Utah.

Production on the fifth season of SLOMW has been temporarily halted. The fourth season, which recently finished airing, highlighted the difficult relationship between Paul and Mortensen. Their constant conflict led some of Paul’s fellow cast members to publicly doubt her readiness to be The Bachelorette, especially considering her complicated history with Mortensen. It was also revealed during the season that Paul and Mortensen had spent the night together right before filming began.

I remember Paul talking about the break in filming on Good Morning America after they decided to stop season 5 of The Bachelorette. She knew production had paused, but she wasn’t sure how long it would be before they started filming again.

As of now, I got word that it also has been paused. I don’t really know why or how long.

Paul shared with People magazine that it’s really painful for him to witness and experience this situation, particularly right now.

It’s been really tough to make time for this, and it means a lot to me. Honestly, I haven’t truly enjoyed a premiere yet, and this one is no different – it was incredibly difficult just getting here today.

It’s definitely been tough, but I knew I had to be there. If I didn’t, I’d be missing out on everything we’ve built and a really great thing that’s about to happen. Ultimately, showing up felt like the right decision, even though it was challenging.

On top of the show getting cancelled and the break from her SLOMW content, it’s been really disappointing to see brands start to drop her too – Cinnabon was one of the first, which honestly felt like a big deal.

The bakery announced to Entertainment Weekly that it was ending its partnership with Paul following the accusations against him.

Cinnabon has ended its partnership with both The Bachelorette and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Recent issues and accusations involving a key member of the shows caused us to reconsider the collaboration, as it no longer reflects what Cinnabon stands for.

Late-night talk shows also canceled future interviews with her, which led Paul to speak out about the video. In a statement to Variety through a representative, Paul said she was deeply disturbed by the video’s release and believed it was a deliberate attempt to shift attention away from Mortensen’s actions.

It’s disheartening to witness his continued efforts to hurt Taylor, seemingly at any cost, even to their child. Releasing an old video, taken out of context, on their son’s birthday is a particularly low act, clearly meant to deflect attention from his own actions. Fortunately, many people are familiar with this behavior – both from what they’ve seen publicly and from their own personal experiences – and recognize it as a manipulative tactic.

Mortensen has requested a court order to keep Paul away from him. According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Mortensen described a series of disturbing events that happened on February 23rd and 24th, claiming Paul acted very emotionally and unpredictably during a disagreement, making him feel scared and unsafe.

Court documents show the situation became a serious argument on February 24th. Mortensen stated he felt trapped and unable to leave while their child was still in the house, expressing real fear for the child’s safety. Beyond the restraining order, Mortensen is asking for temporary custody of their child and wants the court to require Paul to stay sober whenever she has parenting time.

Paul has yet to speak out about The Bachelorette‘s cancellation or Mortensen’s filing.

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2026-03-20 00:20