Disney canceled the new season of The Bachelor due to the scandal involving Paul
20 march 2026 в 00:13
Fans of the show «The Bachelor» may never find out if Taylor Frankie Paul has found a new man, as Disney, the parent company of ABC, has canceled the 22nd season of «The Bachelor». According to several sources, the network cited a leaked 2023 video in which Paul is seen in a physical altercation with her ex-partner Dakota Mortensen.
«In light of the recently surfaced video, we have decided not to move forward with the new season of 'The Bachelor' at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family», - a Disney representative stated in an interview with Page Six and TMZ on Thursday, March 19, just days before the season premiere.
The cancellation came shortly after production on Paul’s fifth season of the Hulu series «The Secret Lives of the Mormon Wives» was halted amid an investigation into a domestic violence case involving both Paul and Mortensen.
The reason for the cancellation of the season of «The Bachelor» featuring Taylor is as follows.
As mentioned, the Disney representative referred to a video published by TMZ on March 19, which shows a physical fight between Paul and Mortensen. In the footage, recorded in 2023, Paul throws chairs at Mortensen while a child is nearby. Mortensen claimed in the video that something hit the child, who was sitting close by.
In 2023, Paul was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child endangerment, and a misdemeanor following the altercation with Mortensen. In August of that year, Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, while the other charges were dismissed. She reached a plea agreement.
It is unclear whether ABC will ever air the season of «The Bachelor» with Paul. At this point, it seems that it will not air in March 2026.
The cancellation came as a shock, as an insider close to the production told The U.S. Sun that it was impossible to cancel the season due to high costs. The source told the publication that the show «is still moving forward because it would cost [Disney] millions of dollars to postpone it».
«Even if it still costs them money to air it, it would be much more expensive not to air it at all», - the insider added. «They don’t have a Plan B; this is an unprecedented situation where the lead has made such a serious mistake, so there’s no backup plan».
Nevertheless, the source added that the «Bachelor» executives were «furious with Taylor».
«Not only because of the bad image, but also because it’s clear that she won’t find her happiness, as she still has issues with Dakota, so it’s a complete mess», - the insider said.
At the time of publication, it was unclear when or if production on the fifth season of «Mormon Wives» would resume. Several sources reported that filming was halted in mid-March 2026. According to People, a source close to the cast of «Mormon Wives» stated, «None of the women want to be associated with her».
However, a source told E! News that Paul’s relationships with her colleagues are «great at the moment» and insisted that production was not halted due to issues among the cast.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 for confidential support
«In light of the recently surfaced video, we have decided not to move forward with the new season of 'The Bachelor' at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family», - a Disney representative stated in an interview with Page Six and TMZ on Thursday, March 19, just days before the season premiere.
The cancellation came shortly after production on Paul’s fifth season of the Hulu series «The Secret Lives of the Mormon Wives» was halted amid an investigation into a domestic violence case involving both Paul and Mortensen.
The reason for the cancellation of the season of «The Bachelor» featuring Taylor is as follows.
As mentioned, the Disney representative referred to a video published by TMZ on March 19, which shows a physical fight between Paul and Mortensen. In the footage, recorded in 2023, Paul throws chairs at Mortensen while a child is nearby. Mortensen claimed in the video that something hit the child, who was sitting close by.
In 2023, Paul was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child endangerment, and a misdemeanor following the altercation with Mortensen. In August of that year, Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, while the other charges were dismissed. She reached a plea agreement.
It is unclear whether ABC will ever air the season of «The Bachelor» with Paul. At this point, it seems that it will not air in March 2026.
The cancellation came as a shock, as an insider close to the production told The U.S. Sun that it was impossible to cancel the season due to high costs. The source told the publication that the show «is still moving forward because it would cost [Disney] millions of dollars to postpone it».
«Even if it still costs them money to air it, it would be much more expensive not to air it at all», - the insider added. «They don’t have a Plan B; this is an unprecedented situation where the lead has made such a serious mistake, so there’s no backup plan».
Nevertheless, the source added that the «Bachelor» executives were «furious with Taylor».
«Not only because of the bad image, but also because it’s clear that she won’t find her happiness, as she still has issues with Dakota, so it’s a complete mess», - the insider said.
At the time of publication, it was unclear when or if production on the fifth season of «Mormon Wives» would resume. Several sources reported that filming was halted in mid-March 2026. According to People, a source close to the cast of «Mormon Wives» stated, «None of the women want to be associated with her».
However, a source told E! News that Paul’s relationships with her colleagues are «great at the moment» and insisted that production was not halted due to issues among the cast.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 for confidential support
© Smirnova Olga
