LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� ABC has scrubbed the upcoming season of three days before its planned premiere, citing a newly released video from 2023 in which she appears to punch, kick and throw chairs at her former partner as her young daughter watched and cried.
Thursday’s cancellation of the already filmed 22nd season of the reality show . While ABC parent company Disney cited the older video, the move comes amid a current domestic violence investigation involving Paul and Dakota Mortensen, father to a son who is the youngest of her three children.
鈥淚n light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of 鈥楾he Bachelorette鈥� at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,鈥� a statement from Disney Entertainment Television said.
A Paul representative responded that she has been abused for years while remaining silent about it.
Before her 鈥淏achelorette鈥� casting, Paul had already become a reality star through 鈥淭he Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,鈥� whose production is paused.
In 2023 video published by TMZ Thursday, Mortensen is apparently trying to stave off Paul with one hand while he shoots phone video. She is shown punching him, kicking him then throwing three chairs at him while repeatedly screaming 鈥淵ou did this!”
鈥淭he only thing you know how to do is hurt me,鈥� Mortensen says, while repeatedly pleading with Paul and reminding her that her daughter was watching. A child can be heard sobbing, screaming and shouting 鈥渕ommy!鈥� Paul’s daughter would have been about 5 at the time.
The video was consistent with Paul’s arrest in 2023, when she was charged with aggravated assault and other offenses, including domestic violence in the presence of a child. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge; the other counts were dismissed.
A spokesman for Paul said in a statement Thursday that she is 鈥渧ery grateful for ABC鈥檚 support as she prioritizes her family鈥檚 safety and security. 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.鈥�
The statement said 鈥淭aylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming鈥� and that she is now 鈥渆xploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.鈥�
Mortensen denied wrongdoing.
鈥淎s anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation. I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same,鈥� his statement said.
A police spokesperson in Draper City, Utah, told People magazine earlier this week that there was an open domestic violence investigation of Paul and Mortensen, and that both have made allegations.
Mortensen’s representatives didn’t immediately answer requests for comment.
ABC will air an 鈥淎merican Idol鈥� rerun Sunday instead.
Paul was promoting 鈥淭he Bachelorette鈥� as recently as Wednesday on 鈥淕ood Morning America鈥� and on the red carpet before Sunday鈥檚 Oscars.
She was an unusual choice to helm 鈥淭he Bachelorette,鈥� the reality TV institution that started in 2003. Most leads are cast from previous runners-up from 鈥淭he Bachelor.鈥�
Her selection instead offered synergy with 鈥淭he Secret Lives of Mormon Wives鈥� on Hulu, also owned by Disney. In a statement confirming her 鈥淏achelorette鈥� casting in October, ABC credited Paul with 鈥渋gniting 鈥楳omTok鈥� and going viral for pulling back the curtain on Salt Lake鈥檚 soft-swinging scene.鈥�
Paul became known as an influencer in a group of women from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sharing their lives on TikTok. She made news when she announced, in 2022, that she had 鈥渟tepped out鈥� of an agreement with her husband on relationships with other couples and they were getting divorced.
Season 4 of 鈥淭he Secret Lives of Mormon Wives鈥� was released last week. Filming of Season 5 has been put on pause.
鈥淚t was a decision that all of us girls came up with,鈥� Paul鈥檚 co-star Mikayla Matthews said Wednesday on Instagram. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 feel comfortable filming with everything that was happening.鈥�
Paul posted on Instagram in December that filming had wrapped on 鈥淭he Bachelorette.”
Her casting was essentially an experiment gone wrong, said Kate Casey, a former crisis communications specialist who has covered unscripted television in more than 1,500 episodes of her podcast 鈥淩eality Life with Kate Casey.鈥�
鈥淚 think they were trying to shake things up, and it makes sense because the ecosystem is saturated with dating shows like 鈥楩-Boy Island鈥� and 鈥楲ove Island鈥� that push the boundaries and 鈥楾he Bachelor鈥� and 鈥楾he Bachelorette鈥� historically have been saccharine,鈥� said Casey.
Casey says network executives probably believed casting Paul would also tap into her 6.1 million-strong TikTok following.
鈥淭he thinking was probably, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to get a new audience鈥� and the new audience is really the most coveted in all of entertainment,鈥� she said.
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Rancilio reported from Detroit.
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