Lead: ABC has removed Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette from its scheduled March 22, 2025 premiere after new footage and an active Utah domestic-violence inquiry involving Paul and her partner Dakota Mortensen surfaced. The network replaced the slot with an American Idol rerun and said its priority is supporting the family while the matter is reviewed. Authorities in Draper, Utah confirmed contacts with both adults on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 and said allegations were made in both directions. Production on related programs has paused and key brand partnerships have been suspended as the investigation continues.
Key Takeaways
- ABC pulled The Bachelorette from its March 22, 2025 schedule and will air an American Idol rerun in that time slot.
- Disney Entertainment Television said the decision followed release of a video and emphasized support for the family while the matter is addressed.
- Draper City Police confirmed contact with both parties on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 and said allegations have been lodged by both sides; the investigation is active.
- TMZ published a video from a 2023 altercation that appears separate from the February incident; Paul was arrested in 2023 and later entered a guilty plea in abeyance to aggravated assault.
- Mortensen reportedly filed for a protective order seeking temporary custody of the couple’s 2-year-old son, Ever, and restrictions on alcohol and drug use during parenting time.
- Production on Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has been paused and Cinnabon ended its partnership with both shows.
- Paul’s representatives say she alleges years of abuse and is pursuing support and legal options; Mortensen’s representatives say his priority is protecting their son and maintaining cooperative co-parenting.
Background
The Bachelorette, a long-running ABC reality franchise, had scheduled the Taylor Frankie Paul season to premiere on Sunday, March 22, 2025. The franchise has previously navigated controversies and production adjustments but historically continued to air seasons despite earlier on- and off-screen scandals. Taylor Frankie Paul rose to prominence through reality programming; her relationship with Dakota Mortensen became public in summer 2022 and has been referenced on related shows since.
In 2023 Paul was arrested after an alleged altercation; she later entered a guilty plea in abeyance to an aggravated assault charge, a disposition that can be dismissed if terms are met. The most recent developments stem from both a newly circulated 2023 video published by TMZ and a separate alleged domestic dispute from February 2025 that prompted the current Utah investigation. Those two strands — the newly released video and the February inquiry — have together prompted network, production and commercial partners to reassess involvement.
Main Event
On the afternoon before the scheduled premiere, ABC removed The Bachelorette from its lineup. A Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson told Yahoo the decision followed the release of newly surfaced footage and that the network would not move forward with the season at this time, focusing instead on supporting the family. The immediate change moved an American Idol rerun into the Sunday slot originally reserved for Paul’s season.
TMZ published footage taken in 2023 that appears to show Paul and Mortensen in a physical altercation; the clip, as reported, shows back-and-forth contact and a moment in which a chair was thrown while a child was nearby. Media reports state the 2023 footage is distinct from the alleged February incident that prompted the Draper City Police inquiry, though both matters now factor into public scrutiny and the ongoing investigation.
Following the video’s release, Paul’s representative issued a statement saying she had endured years of mental and physical abuse and threats of retaliation, and that she is taking steps to protect herself and her children. Mortensen’s representative said his priority is protecting their 2-year-old son, Ever, and that he seeks cooperative co-parenting; the representative also pushed back on assertions that he timed the public release of allegations for attention.
Production on Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has been paused while the investigation proceeds; sources told Variety that the alleged February incident did not occur while cameras were rolling. At least one cast member said colleagues collectively chose to halt filming because they did not feel comfortable continuing amid the situation. Commercial fallout followed: Cinnabon reportedly ended its collaboration with both series, citing misalignment with brand values.
Analysis & Implications
Network-level decisions to pull programming days before a premiere are rare and carry immediate commercial and reputational consequences. For ABC, removing a flagship franchise entry disrupts advertising schedules, affiliate relations and promotional investments tied to the March 22 launch. It also places pressure on internal legal, standards and practices, and public-affairs teams to manage messaging while authorities investigate.
For talent and production partners, the pause creates both short-term financial uncertainty and longer-term reputational risk. Contestants who had prepared to appear on the new season reported surprise and feelings of betrayal, according to sources; brand partners such as Cinnabon have already severed ties, which can accelerate revenue loss and complicate future sponsorship negotiations for related programming.
Legally, the presence of an active investigation in Draper, Utah and prior court dispositions (the 2023 arrest and plea in abeyance) creates a layered situation where criminal, civil and family-law pathways could proceed in parallel. Protective-order filings and custody requests, if granted or litigated, would shape immediate parenting arrangements and could influence public perception and contractual relationships tied to talent availability.
Politically and culturally, the episode raises broader questions about network responsibility, presumption of innocence, and the safety of children and staff on production sets. Expect continued scrutiny from regulators, advertisers and advocacy groups; networks will likely revisit vetting, crisis protocols and insurance coverage for reality programming, particularly where off-screen relationships intersect with on-camera content.
Comparison & Data
| Event | Timing | Immediate Impact |
|---|---|---|
| This Bachelorette pull | March 2025 (days before premiere) | Schedule change, paused production, lost sponsorships |
| COVID-era production pauses | 2020–2021 | Widespread schedule delays, safety protocols implemented |
| Host controversy and exit | 2021 | Public debate and reputational damage; seasons continued |
The table shows three distinct kinds of disruption: immediate scheduling and sponsorship losses (this case), industry-wide forced pauses for health policy (COVID), and personnel controversies that altered public conversation but did not stop seasons from airing. This pull is notable because it occurred in the days before a premiere, increasing operational and commercial strain compared with earlier disruptions.
Reactions & Quotes
“In light of the newly released video that surfaced today, we have made the decision not to move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”
Disney Entertainment Television (statement reported to Yahoo)
ABC’s statement framed the decision as responsive to newly surfaced material and emphasized family support; it did not commit to a future air date.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security… After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse… Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser.”
Representative for Taylor Frankie Paul (statement reported to People)
Paul’s representatives framed the developments as part of a longer history of alleged abuse and said she is seeking support and legal options.
“His priority is protecting the couple’s young son and that he hopes to maintain a cooperative co-parenting relationship with Paul.”
Representative for Dakota Mortensen (reported to media)
Mortensen’s spokesperson emphasized the child’s welfare and denied that he engineered the public timing of allegations.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the 2023 footage and the February 2025 alleged incident will lead to criminal charges beyond the 2023 disposition is not yet confirmed.
- The motive and full context for the timing of the video release remain unclear and are reported differently across outlets.
- The duration of production pauses for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and whether The Bachelorette will ever air as planned are not yet known.
Bottom Line
The decision to pull Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette days before its scheduled March 22, 2025 premiere underscores how quickly off-screen legal and personal issues can disrupt major television properties. ABC prioritized family support and risk management over airing the season amid emergent footage and an active Utah investigation; that move produced immediate programming, production and commercial consequences.
For stakeholders — contestants, advertisers, co-producers and audiences — the situation illustrates the intersection of personal conduct, child welfare, and brand risk in modern reality television. Expect further developments as investigators, civil courts and commercial partners respond; the next steps will determine whether the network reinstates, reschedules or permanently shelves the season.
Sources
- Yahoo Entertainment (news outlet reporting original schedule change and statements)
- TMZ (media outlet that published the 2023 video)
- People (media outlet reporting Paul’s representative statement)
- Variety (trade outlet reporting production pause and sourcing cast comments)
- Draper City Government (official local authority referenced for police contact)
- Cinnabon (brand partner referenced as ending collaboration)