Taylor Frankie Paul is addressing ABC’s decision to pull her season of The Bachelorette ahead of its Sunday premiere.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” a spokesperson for Paul said in a statement to People. “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”
The statement continued, “There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives. Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
The network decided not to move forward with season 22 of the reality dating show amid reports of an alleged domestic incident involving Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen.
“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,” a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson shared in a statement on Thursday.
News of the incident first made headlines earlier this week when Paul’s other hit show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, paused filming for season five amid the situation. A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department previously confirmed to People that there’s an open “domestic assault investigation” between Paul and Mortensen.
While Hulu has not confirmed the status of production, sources told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday that season five was still on pause.
Speaking to THR at a Bachelorette press event earlier this week, Paul admitted she’s “struggling,” but also “trying to show up” amid the investigation.
“I think it’s been really difficult and heavy given, you know, all the headlines and what’s going on,” she said at the time. “But I would say I am handling it like any normal human would, like struggling, but trying to show up at the same time.”
Elsewhere on Thursday, before ABC pulled the forthcoming season of The Bachelorette, TMZ released a video of what led to Paul’s arrest in February 2023 for another domestic violence incident involving Mortensen. She pled guilty to aggravated assault at the time and the incident was detailed on a previous season of Mormon Wives.
After the footage was leaked, a spokesperson for Paul said in a statement to People, “It’s sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child. Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences.”
