Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Bachelorette’ season may air next month: Report
ABC to lose millions after "The Bachelorette" cancellation
ABC’s cancellation of the new season of "The Bachelorette" is going to cost the network tens of millions. "The Secret Lives of Mormon" star, Taylor Frankie Paul, was set to star in the new season of "The Bachelorette," but after TMZ posted a disturbing 2023 video showing Paul appearing to throw chairs at her ex, Dakota Mortensen, during a domestic violence incident, Disney decided to cancel the hit series three days before its Sunday premiere.
LOS ANGELES - If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic abuse, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. The free service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Every call is confidential, and you can be totally anonymous, if you'd like.
After months of uncertainty, ABC's upcoming season of "The Bachelorette" starring Taylor Frankie Paul reportedly appears to be back on track and could finally reach viewers as early as next month.
Sources familiar with the production told TMZ that discussions behind the scenes were centered on a potential mid-July premiere date, although network executives have not yet finalized the schedule.
Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Bachelorette’ season may air soon
Big picture view:
One source told TMZ that production never truly came to a halt. Editors reportedly continued working on episodes even after the show's removal from the schedule, signaling that the network was keeping the possibility of a future launch alive.
Another source also told the entertainment news outlet that the network also been conducting audience testing in recent months to gauge public sentiment toward Paul following the controversy that delayed the show's original rollout.
ABC previously canceled Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of "The Bachelorette"
The backstory:
Legal issues involving Paul and former partner Dakota Mortensen continue to unfold. The two currently have restraining orders against each other and have been directed by a Utah judge to work toward resolving an ongoing custody dispute.
EARLIER: 'The Bachelorette' Taylor Frankie Paul's season canceled
In March, ABC announced it had pulled the plug on Paul’s season of "The Bachelorette."
TMZ learned of the news amid claims of domestic abuse, along with a 2023 video of her fighting with her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.
A Disney Entertainment spokesperson said in a statement at the time, "In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of 'The Bachelorette' at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family."
The 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' star's season of the dating show was scheduled to premiere in the spring. Paul posted on Instagram in December that filming had wrapped on "The Bachelorette," which is hosted by Jesse Palmer.
Dig deeper:
Authorities arrested Paul in 2023 on charges of aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse with injury and criminal mischief.
The complaint alleged that Paul threw a phone, a wooden play set and "heavy metal chairs" at Mortensen. One of the chairs allegedly hit one of her children who was sitting next to her then-boyfriend on the couch during their argument.
Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, while the other four charges were dropped.
If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic abuse, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. The free service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Every call is confidential, and you can be totally anonymous, if you'd like.
The Source: This story was reported from Los Angeles. TMZ contributed.