Why is the 'Bachelorette' canceled? A guide to the Taylor Frankie Paul controversy

## Summary
The decision to shelve the show's 22nd season came on Thursday, after TMZ published a video it says shows would-be bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul physically attacking her then-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, in 2023. "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," Disney Entertainment said in a statement reported by the Associated Press , New York Times and others. Television ABC cancels upcoming 'Bachelorette' season, citing video of star in 2023 attack The video, filmed by Mortensen, appears to show Paul hitting, grabbing and throwing three barstools at him. In a statement shared with NBC News , Paul's representative called the video the "latest installment of [Mortensen's] never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child." Paul's representative told People in a statement that Paul is "exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story," and "very grateful for ABC's support as she prioritizes her family's safety and security." Mortenesen told Entertainment Weekly that he categorically denies "these baseless claims about me and our relationship," calling it "a deeply upsetting situation." "I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same," he added. When asked about the incident on a 2025 podcast , she acknowledged that her kids were present but said she "never had hurt" her daughter and "never intentionally did anything with my children." The couple's turbulent relationship was a central plot point of the other reality TV show that made Paul famous: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives , which premiered in 2024 and just released its fourth season last week.

## Article Content
Pop Culture
Why is the 'Bachelorette' canceled? A guide to the Taylor Frankie Paul controversy
March 20, 2026
2:45 PM ET
By
Rachel Treisman
Taylor Frankie Paul attends the Oscars on Sunday, a week ahead of her scheduled
Bachelorette
premiere.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Mike Coppola/Getty Images
The new season of ABC's reality TV series
The Bachelorette
was all filmed and set to premiere on Sunday. But parent company Disney now says it will not air as planned.
The decision to shelve the show's 22nd season came on Thursday, after TMZ
published a video
it says shows would-be bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul physically attacking her then-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, in 2023.
"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," Disney Entertainment said in a statement reported by the
Associated Press
,
New York Times
and others.
Television
ABC cancels upcoming 'Bachelorette' season, citing video of star in 2023 attack
The video, filmed by Mortensen, appears to show Paul hitting, grabbing and throwing three barstools at him. A child can be heard crying on the couch nearby, and Mortensen says at one point: "Your daughter is sitting right there."
Paul has three children: two with her ex-husband Tate Paul and one, born in 2024, with Mortensen. She confirmed the end of their three-year on-again, off-again relationship in May 2025. NPR has reached out to both of their representatives.
In a statement shared with
NBC News
, Paul's representative called the video the "latest installment of [Mortensen's] never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child."
Paul's representative
told
People
in a statement that Paul is "exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story," and "very grateful for ABC's support as she prioritizes her family's safety and security."
Mortenesen
told
Entertainment Weekly
that he categorically denies "these baseless claims about me and our relationship," calling it "a deeply upsetting situation."
"I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same," he added.
Interview highlights
'Mormon Wives' star Mayci Neeley shares her complex life in new memoir
NPR has not independently verified the authenticity of the video, which TMZ says was used as evidence in legal proceedings. But it matches Utah's
Herriman City Police Department's description
of a February 2023 incident that led to Paul's arrest on charges of assault, criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child.
Court records obtained by NPR show that Paul agreed to plead guilty to the third-degree felony of aggravated assault and has been serving 36 months of probation. When asked about the incident on a
2025 podcast
, she acknowledged that her kids were present but said she "never had hurt" her daughter and "never intentionally did anything with my children."
The couple's turbulent relationship was a central plot point of the other reality TV show that made Paul famous:
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
, which premiered in 2024 and just released its fourth season last week.
Earlier this week,
People
and other entertainment outlets reported that filming of the show's fifth season had been halted amid
reports of an investigation
into domestic assault allegations involving Paul and Mortensen — presumably a separate incident, though details are scarce.
An unnamed spokesperson with Utah's Draper City Police Department
told
People
that "allegations have been made in both directions," and "contact was made with involved parties" on Feb. 24 and 25, though declined to elaborate as the investigation is ongoing. NPR has reached out to Draper police, but did not hear back in time for publication.
There's a lot we still don't know. But if you're just tuning in, we can help fill in some gaps.
(Left-right) Jennifer Affleck, Mayci Neeley, Mikayla Matthews, Taylor Frankie Paul, and Miranda McWhorter of
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
attend an event at SiriusXM Studios in May 2025.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Who are we talking about?
At the center of the controversy is Taylor Frankie Paul.
She's a 31-year-old influencer best known as the self-proclaimed creator of "
MomTok
," a friend group-slash-collective of Utah-based Mormon moms that rose to social media fame in 2020.
They posted dance trends, beauty routines, skits and lifestyle videos to TikTok, promoting a more modern side of Mormonism and challenging its traditional gender roles. But it didn't take long for controversy to strike, in the form of the 2022 "soft swinging scandal."
The
what
scandal?
Paul revealed in a May 2022
livestream video
that she and her then-husband, Tate Paul, had been "s

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
N/A

### Areas for Consideration
- A guide to the Taylor Frankie Paul controversy March 20, 2026 2:45 PM ET By Rachel Treisman Taylor Frankie Paul attends the Oscars on Sunday, a week ahead of her scheduled Bachelorette premiere.
- At the center of the controversy is Taylor Frankie Paul.
- But it didn't take long for controversy to strike, in the form of the 2022 "soft swinging scandal." The what scandal?

### Implications
- But parent company Disney now says it will not air as planned.
- She confirmed the end of their three-year on-again, off-again relationship in May 2025.
- In a statement shared with NBC News , Paul's representative called the video the "latest installment of [Mortensen's] never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child." Paul's representative told People in a statement that Paul is "exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story," and "very grateful for ABC's support as she prioritizes her family's safety and security." Mortenesen told Entertainment Weekly that he categorically denies "these baseless claims about me and our relationship," calling it "a deeply upsetting situation." "I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same," he added.
- But if you're just tuning in, we can help fill in some gaps. (Left-right) Jennifer Affleck, Mayci Neeley, Mikayla Matthews, Taylor Frankie Paul, and Miranda McWhorter of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives attend an event at SiriusXM Studios in May 2025.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers paul, bachelorette, season topics. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1676.