Disney/ABC just pulled the plug on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette. It’s a shocking move that came right after a truly disturbing video surfaced featuring one of the show’s planned stars, Taylor Paul. According to BroBible, this isn’t some minor scheduling hiccup. The network immediately canceled the entire season, which had already been filmed and was set to premiere this Sunday.
The video, released by TMZ dates back to 2023 and shows Paul attacking her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, in front of their young daughter. It’s incredibly difficult to watch, much like other high-profile fights where partners end up fearing for their lives during a domestic dispute. You can see Dakota struggling to record the altercation on his phone as Paul puts him in a headlock. She pulls back for a moment, then charges again, attempting to kick him.
The situation quickly turned violent. Paul grabs a metal barstool and hurls it directly at Dakota. He screams at her, yelling “your daughter is sitting right there,” but she doesn’t stop, throwing two more stools at him. In that moment you can hear her child, who was curled up on the couch, begin to cry. The police report later confirmed that the 5-year-old girl was hit during the incident and subsequently had a “goose egg on her head.” This is absolutely awful to think about, especially with a child involved.
Once that footage dropped, there was no saving the season
Following the video’s release, Disney Entertainment Television moved swiftly to cancel the season. A spokesperson for the company released a statement, saying, “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.” It’s a huge decision, but after seeing such a difficult video, it feels like they didn’t have much of a choice.
This cancellation is going to cost ABC a significant amount of money. Sources familiar with the show indicate that the network could be out tens of millions of dollars if they can’t find a way to salvage The Bachelorette. This includes substantial license fees paid to Warner Bros. Unscripted TV, all the marketing dollars already spent, and other lost revenue.
Some reports are even suggesting that Disney/ABC could face losses upwards of $50 million due to the scandal. An insider said, “It could be $50 million [or more]. Someone’s gotta get fired from this. It’s ridiculous.” That’s a massive financial hit for a show that was literally ready to air. It’s a truly shocking turn of events that brings an immediate halt to a highly anticipated reality show.
The human cost, particularly the impact on a child, is clearly the paramount concern here.
Published: Mar 20, 2026 02:45 pm