Who is Taylor Frankie Paul? The MomTok star at the center of the Bachelorette controversy

ABC cancels Taylor Frankie Paul's 'Bachelorette' season days before premiere amid domestic violence controversy

ABC has officially canceled Taylor Frankie Paul's upcoming season of The Bachelorette just days before its scheduled Sunday premiere, following the emergence of a violent video involving the reality star and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.

A spokesperson for Disney Entertainment Television confirmed to Business Insider that the network will "not move forward with the new season of 'The Bachelorette' at this time," adding that their "focus is on supporting the family." The decision came after TMZ published video footage Wednesday showing Paul attacking Mortensen during a 2023 incident in which her young child was struck.

Paul, a TikTok star and cast member of Hulu's hit series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," was named as the newest Bachelorette in September 2025, making history as the first person from outside the franchise cast in the role. The move was initially praised as corporate synergy, with both shows sharing parent company Disney.

The controversy deepened this week when the Draper City Police Department confirmed an open investigation involving Paul and Mortensen stemming from a February incident. Paul was previously arrested in February 2023 following a domestic violence incident with Mortensen, later pleading no contest to aggravated assault charges. She was placed on three years' probation.

In the newly surfaced 2023 video, Paul is seen throwing a metal barstool at Mortensen as her daughter sits nearby. The child was struck and later developed a "goose egg on her head," according to police reports.

Paul's representative responded to the video's release, stating Mortensen is conducting a "desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child."

Following the cancellation, Paul's planned appearance on "The Tonight Show" was also scrapped. Filming for season five of "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" has been paused after cast members refused to work amid the ongoing drama.

Paul and Mortensen share a son, Ever, born in March 2024.