ABC Cancels Bachelorette Season, Franchise Future Uncertain

0:00It's March 20th, here's what's happening in Entertainment. ABC just pulled Taylor Frankie Paul's upcoming season of The Bachelorette, three days before its premiere. The decision came after a video surface showing Paul throwing chairs at her ex, Dakota Mortensen, with a child nearby. This happened back in 2023, and it led to a quick statement from Disney supporting the family instead of airing the show. Former Bachelorette-led Rachel Lindsay reacted live on her Bachelorette Party podcast, saying the whole franchise is done for. At 40 years old, she argued the Bachelorette and Bachelorette names are now too damaged to recover from the scandal. She pointed out it is not just one person's fault, but a deeper issue with how they pick leads. Traditional fans were already upset when Paul, a 31-year-old from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, got announced as the lead last September. Lindsay said that choice already shook trust, and now the cancellation has made it impossible to move forward. Hundreds of crew members could lose jobs as a result.

1:02Police in Draper, Utah, confirmed an open domestic assault investigation involving Paul and Mortensen from a February 2026 incident. The couple shares a two-year-old son, and Paul has two other kids from her previous marriage. Filming on her reality show also paused recently over related issues. Paul's team says she is grateful for ABC support while focusing on her family safety. He claims years of abuse from her ex and is now stepping up to protect herself and the kids. With the franchise in limbo, even spin-offs like Bachelorette and Paradise look unlikely to return anytime soon.