Bachelorette Canceled Amid Domestic Violence Scandal

0:00On March 20th, here's the latest in entertainment and celebrity news. Season 22 of the Bachelorette, starring Taylor Frankie Paul, got canceled just three days before its premiere on March 19th. ABC pulled the plug after a video surfaced showing Paul in a 2023 incident where she appeared to attack her then-boyfriend Dakota. Mort Simpson and throw chairs with one hitting their daughter. Disney said they decided not to move forward and wanted to support the family. Paul had already faced public backlash over a 2023 arrest for assault and domestic violence in front of a child. She pleaded guilty in a bans to aggravated assault in August 2025, yet ABC cast her anyway back in September 2025, banking on her huge social media following from the secret lives of Mormon wives. Cast members grew uneasy during filming, with one telling producers it felt too dangerous amid an ongoing domestic assault investigation involving. Both Paul and Mortensen. She kept up appearances on shows like Good Morning America, right before the cancellation.

1:04Sponsors jumped shit fast, like Sinabon ending his deal because it no longer fit their brand. The Mormon-wise cast started pulling away from Paul, and sources say ABC could lose tens of millions from production, marketing, and fees. Both sides have spoken out since, with Paul's team calling the decision a step toward her family safety after years of abuse claims, while Mortensen focuses on co-parenting their two-year-old son. The whole mess shows how chasing drama can backfire big time for these shows.