Grace Vaccaro, Staff Writer
On March 22, the twenty-second season of The Bachelorette was supposed to air on ABC. However, just three days prior, it was announced that the season would be cancelled.
The lead of this season, Taylor Frankie Paul, known for being the founder of MomTok and featured on the reality television show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, found herself in a position so controversial it brought the end of her season before it even started.
In 2023, Paul was arrested for assault against her then-boyfriend, and father of her son, Dakota Mortensen. After this incident, Paul was charged with domestic violence, child abuse with injury, and criminal mischief. She pleaded guilty to the assault charge, while the other charges were dropped. This event was featured heavily in the first season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. After this event, Paul and Mortensen continued to co-parent their child and have an on-again-off-again relationship.
However, just before Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was supposed to air, a video from the night Paul was arrested was leaked. In this video, Paul is seen attacking Mortesensen, putting him in a headlock, and throwing multiple stools. A child cries in the background, witnessing this event. Due to the unsettling and graphic video, and this being Paul’s third domestic violence allegation, ABC decided to pull the upcoming season.
This decision raises a question: Why did ABC even create the season in the first place? It is publicly known that Paul had already been found guilty of assault two years prior. Many people believed that ABC had cast Paul originally in hopes of attracting more viewers to The Bachelorette, a show that is decreasing in viewership; however, this decision may be the downfall of the show entirely.
This season was already filmed and edited. Not airing it can result in ABC losing, approximately $30-70 million dollars, money that Paul may be held accountable for if the network decides to sue. Fans wonder whether or not the season will ever be broadcast in the future. The filming for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 5 has also been halted.
Since the season was filmed, a winner for the season had been chosen. For those unfamiliar with the concept of the show, it is a reality television dating show. One woman, the bachelorette, dates 25-30 men over several weeks. At the end of the time, it culminates in a marriage proposal.
The canceled season had wrapped, meaning that there was a winner, or a man who proposed to Paul at the end of the season. The winner, Doug Mason, has spoken out, pushing for support for Paul. He stated that he was “sending prayers” to Paul, due to the devastation of her season being canceled just before it was set to air.
While canceling the season with such little notice may seem harsh, doing so sends an important message to America. This decision reflects the refusal to stand by domestic violence or excuse abusers, no matter how much influence or fame they may have.
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