Their journey for airtime has come to an end.
The men who set out to find love with Taylor Frankie Paul on “The Bachelorette” might take legal action after their season was axed.
Sources told TMZ on Saturday that five contestants from the competition series are considering bringing a lawsuit against ABC and Warner Bros. Discovery.
A disturbing 2023 video showing Paul throwing chairs at her ex, Dakota Mortensen, during a domestic violence incident was leaked on Thursday, leading the network to cancel the upcoming season, which was set to premiere on Sunday.
Insiders also told the outlet that the five contestants feel that Warner Bros. Discovery, which produced the season, built an unsafe working environment by allowing Paul to be in intimate settings with them given her past history.
On Harvey Levin and Mark Geragos’s “2 Angry Men” podcast, the co-hosts explained that some of the men also put their lives on hold, quit their jobs and lost financial opportunities in exchange for exposure on television while competing for Paul’s heart.
However, ABC is already in hot water, as the season cancellation is set to cost the network tens of millions, insiders tell Page Six.
“It could be $50 million [or more]. Someone’s gotta get fired from this. It’s ridiculous,” a source shared.
“They had to know. Did they not do a background check on her? It’s a disaster. It’s going to cost them millions! It’s gotta be, with production, $10 to $15 million, maybe more,” the second insider elaborated.
The show also negotiated freebies for clients, such as hotels, that were set to be featured on the show.
On Thursday, a Disney spokesperson confirmed to Page Six that the network was pulling the plug on the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star’s season.
“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,” they said.
The series will instead be replaced by re-runs of “American Idol,” another insider revealed to Page Six.
An industry source told us, “They had no choice but to pull [the show],” after the video came out. “It’s a show for women. What woman and what mom is going to watch a woman throwing chairs with a child nearby.”
The 2023 incident occurred while the TikToker’s daughter Indy, who was 5 at the time, was present in the room.
Paul was arrested at the time and charged with misdemeanor assault, criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child.
All of the charges were dropped, and the pair reconciled that same year. Paul and Mortensen then called it quits for good in 2024 after welcoming son Ever, 1.
Paul’s rep said in a statement Thursday that the video “conveniently omits context” and Mortensen’s “never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child.”
Mortensen, meanwhile, denied her allegations, saying, “I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same.”
A rep for ABC and “The Bachelorette” didn’t immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
