Read Post
Sat, 21 Mar 2026 23:01:45 -0700
marlon from private IP, post #13506272
/all
The Bachelorette
do u think someone at Disney is getting fired over this? why did it
get this far?
https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/the-bachelorette/disney-bachelorette-cost-to-scrap-season-taylor-page
It’s going to cost Disney at least $20 million to scrap The Bachelorette
Pulling an entire season of reality TV three days before it was set to premiere isn't cheap.
By William Hughes | March 20, 2026 | 4:27pm
Taylor Frankie Paul, Photo: Disney/Michael Kirchoff
TV News The Bachelorette
It’s going to cost Disney at least $20 million to scrap The Bachelorette
Disney’s plans to inject a little life back into its flagging Bachelorette franchise by casting a lead dater with both a known reality TV following, and a
reputation for causing TV drama, ran into an extremely serious snag this week, when a 2023 video of nu-Bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul violently throwing
things at sometimes-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen—apparently hitting her five-year-old child in the process—got leaked onto the internet. As we reported on
Thursday, Disney and Bachelorette producers Warner Bros. Television were aware of the incident—they would have had to have been, since Paul pled guilty to
charges related to it a few years back—but claimed they hadn’t seen the video before yesterday, causing them to scrap the Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives
star’s entire season of The Bachelorette.
Which, besides raising a bunch of recurring questions about the nature of “drama” in reality TV, has also brought to light some practical and economical
ones. To wit: How much does it cost to dump an entire planned, filmed, and edited season of a reality TV show? THR did a deeper dive into that question this
week, and came up with a number somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million. Which is, as noted, not actually that seismic, in terms of TV budgets: One of the
reasons ABC has deployed more than 50 seasons of this franchise since it kicked off back in 2002 is that it’s relatively cheap to make, with budgets of about
$2 million per episode.
In terms of straight-practicalities, one key part of this is that Warner Bros. is getting paid, no matter what: ABC has already agreed to cover the license fee
for the series, which pays for its production costs. (Essentially, ABC already bought the season, and it’s on them whether they want to try to air it.)
Meanwhile, the timing of the decision to yank the series—arriving just three days before it was set to air—means that the show also had all its ad sales
already set for at least the Sunday night debut and probably more besides, and will now have to adjust or make good on those sales in order to appease
advertisers who thought they were getting $100,000 a minute ad time on The Bachelorette, and will now be airing commercials alongside a rerun of American Idol.
That could bring the total price tag for the pull up to about $30 million (for an entertainment division whose annual revenues are in the $11 billion
range—although you don’t get to those kinds of numbers by not worrying about stuff like this.)
The big question here is whether ABC will, at some point, try to actually air this thing, which would allow them to recoup some of the losses they’re eating
here. Personally, we find it hard to imagine—watching the video makes it pretty hard to get into any semblance of the “romantic fantasy” mindset this
entire franchise is meant to coast off of and promote—but, on the other hand: Thirty million dollars.
https://www.tmz.com/2026/03/19/video-of-taylor-frankie-paul-beating-dakota-mortensen/
Taylor Frankie Paul & Dakota Mortensen
Video Shows Brutal 2023 Fight, Child Struck
Exclusive
By TMZ Staff
Published March 19, 2026 9:47 AM PDT | Updated March 20, 2026 1:34 PM PDT
Taylor Frankie Paul link video launch
TMZ.com
Taylor Frankie Paul repeatedly attacked Dakota Mortensen during the 2023 incident in which she pled guilty to aggravated assault, and the video shows that one
of her children was struck during the fight.
TMZ has obtained the video -- a copy of which was evidence in the case -- and it's hard to watch. Dakota struggles to record the altercation with his cellphone
as Taylor puts him in a headlock. She backs off ... but then charges and tries to kick him.
The struggle turns violent as Taylor grabs a metal barstool and hurls it at Dakota. He screams at her -- "your daughter is sitting right there" -- but she
persists, throwing 2 more stools at him. At that moment, you hear her child, who was curled up on the couch, begin crying.
The police report says the 5-year-old girl was hit and later had a "goose egg on her head."
Police arrived on the scene that night after a neighbor called to complain about the noise, and in the video you hear the officer trying to separate them.
During the fight, Taylor yells "you threw me" a few times, and she later claims to police Dakota had thrown her to the ground prior to what's seen in the
video.
We know responding officers saw this video, and prosecutors used it in their case against Taylor.
She eventually pled guilty to the felony and was placed on 3 years' probation, which ends in August. If she keeps her nose clean until then, the conviction will
not appear on her record. As part of the deal, prosecutors dropped 4 other charges, including domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse, and
criminal mischief.
TMZ broke the story ... there have been ongoing allegations of violence between Taylor and Dakota. There's an open investigation by the Utah Division of
Children and Family Services, and both Taylor and Dakota have been ordered to undergo a psych evaluation.
A rep for Taylor is lashing out at Dakota, telling us ... "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 and selectively edited video on their son's
birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior."
Taylor Frankie Paul 2023 Arrest Bodycam Footage
2023 Arrest Bodycam
Launch Gallery
Herriman Police Department
The rep added, "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.”
Filming on 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' has been put on ice ... this, after other members of the cast refused to film because of the drama surrounding
Taylor.
Dakota Mortensen taylor frankie paul insta
Taylor was scheduled to star in "The Bachelorette," which was set to premiere Sunday on ABC ... until this afternoon, when the network pulled the plug,
canceling the entire season.
We have reached out to Dakota and ABC, but have not heard back from either.
Sun, 22 Mar 2026 03:02:38 -0700
Andy from private IP
Reply #12388179
The Bachelorette is a freaking joke of a show. No self-respecting man would date someone like Taylor Frankie.
Sun, 22 Mar 2026 08:35:11 -0700
marlon from private IP
Reply #14824900
why, what do u mean? what is wrong with her? she is normal, yes?
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/22/arts/taylor-frankie-paul-bachelorette-canceled.html?unlocked_article_code=1.VFA.9aXS.hjv3IkCFh0Ep&smid=url-share
The Chaotic Downfall of the ‘Bachelor’ Empire
As competing dating shows flaunt modern norms, the ABC franchise finds itself mired in scandals and stymied by its traditional approach to love.
A man in a suit and a woman in a dress sit on a small bench while a man films them with a large camera on his shoulder.
The finale of the first season of “The Bachelor” attracted 18 million viewers, and the franchise remained popular for years. But lately the scandals have
piled up.Credit...Byron J. Cohen/ABC
Reggie UgwuShivani Gonzalez
By Reggie Ugwu and Shivani Gonzalez
March 22, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET
For years, the “Bachelor” empire has been in decline.
Its flagship series, “The Bachelor,” a fixture of ABC’s winter programming schedule for nearly two decades, has not been seen since last March, with no
star or premiere date announced for its return.
Ratings for last year’s finale of “The Golden Bachelor,” an attempt to reinvigorate the dating franchise by casting older contestants, dropped by nearly
60 percent compared with the inaugural season.
And “The Bachelorette” was on life support, failing to air last year after two underperforming seasons and a devastating reveal on live television.
All of that was before ABC abruptly pulled the plug on the new season of “The Bachelorette,” starring the influencer and reality star Taylor Frankie Paul,
who ABC had hoped would lead a ratings renaissance. The season had been scheduled to premiere on Sunday, but a leaked video showed Ms. Paul assaulting her
partner in 2023.
Once considered the pre-eminent dating competition series in the United States, “The Bachelor” and its spinoffs have been plagued by a revolving door of
executives, innovative competitors and a stream of contestants with troubled pasts. Viewership of “The Bachelor,” which regularly drew nine million viewers
per episode in 2016, according to Nielsen, has fallen by nearly three-quarters over the past decade.
“It’s going to be tough to relaunch it, because people will be asking questions,” said Ryan Callahan, a former producer of “The Bachelor” and “The
Bachelorette,” about the prospect of reviving “The Bachelorette” after the Paul controversy. “‘Did they vet this person properly? Are they pulling a
fast one on us again?’ Something like this breaches the faith of the viewer.”
On an episode of the podcast “Bachelor Party,” after learning in real time that Ms. Paul’s season had been scrapped, Rachel Lindsay, a former
Bachelorette, was more definitive.
“I think it’s over,” Ms. Lindsay said. “The name ‘Bachelorette,’ ‘Bachelor’ is tainted at this point. How do you move forward past that? You
can’t.”
A woman in a white sleeveless dress smiles. The word “Oscars” is behind her.
Taylor Frankie Paul, a star on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” was expected to help “The Bachelorette” turn around its ratings.Credit...Jordan
Strauss/Invision, via Associated Press
When ABC agreed to cast Ms. Paul in September, it knew that she was on probation after pleading guilty to aggravated assault in the 2023 encounter, which
involved Dakota Mortensen, who is now the father of one of her three children. On Wednesday, when she was promoting the new season of “The Bachelorette" on a
morning talk show, the network was aware that both Ms. Paul and Mr. Mortensen were the subjects of a domestic violence investigation by the police in Draper,
Utah, after an encounter last month.
The network needed a ratings win, though, and Ms. Paul had more than seven million followers across Instagram and TikTok after starring in Hulu’s “The
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” where her tumultuous relationship was front and center.
Then TMZ published the video of the 2023 assault on Thursday. In it, Ms. Paul, who was initially also charged with domestic violence and child abuse, kicks and
throws metal chairs at Mr. Mortensen.
Disney, ABC’s parent company, did not respond to a request for comment. Warner Bros., which produces “The Bachelorette,” declined to comment.
Before the announcement of Ms. Paul’s season, executives at Disney were in reset mode, leaning on offshoots like “The Golden Bachelor” and the friskier
“Bachelor in Paradise” as “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” fell off the production calendar.
“We’re only going to roll these out as they come together and meet the bar of excellence that the tradition of the show has set,” Craig Erwich, Disney’s
president of television, told The Wrap last spring.
In July, ABC announced that Scott Teti, a former producer of the reality shows “Flavor of Love” and “Summer House,” would take over the responsibility
of relaunching “The Bachelor.” He had led that summer’s season of “Bachelor in Paradise,” and was later handed the keys to “The Bachelorette,” as
well.
Image
Nine men and women in casual clothing smile as they walk through a villa.
Dating shows like “Love Island USA” are appealing to younger audiences by more closely mirroring contemporary dating norms.Credit...Peacock
He was taking over a franchise that had lost considerable ground to streaming competitors that can amp up the raunchiness and dramatics of their dating shows
without the proprieties of network television.
“Love Island USA” broke records last summer to become Peacock’s most-watched original season of television. Each season of “Love Is Blind” goes
straight to the top of Netflix’s top 10 list. “Love Overboard,” a new show on Hulu that the popular “Bachelorette” and “Traitors” contestant Gabby
Windey hosts, is scheduled to premiere this week.
Amy Kaufman, the author of “Bachelor Nation,” said the ‘Bachelor’ franchise’s identity had become muddled as its cultural relevance had waned.
“They’re torn between leaning more into the origin of ‘The Bachelor,’ which is about the love story and the fairy tale, versus it’s 2026 and people
hook up all the time on television,” she said.
When “The Bachelor” premiered in 2002, it was the first show of its kind. Unlike “The Dating Game” and “Temptation Island,” “The Bachelor” was a
long-form dating show that focused on people actually finding a relationship with an eligible partner, instead of competing for a prize (beyond a comped
engagement ring).
And it was a hit.
The premiere brought in nine million viewers, which doubled to 18 million by the season finale. The first season of “The Bachelorette,” in 2003, was also a
ratings success — over 17 million people tuned in to the premiere — and it set a gold standard for what the show was trying to achieve. The lead, Trista
Rehn, married Ryan Sutter in a televised ceremony, and they are still together with two children.
The franchise remained popular for years, especially after it started making a popular contestant on one season the next season’s lead, bringing along a
built-in fan base.
Then the scandals started to pile up. It was discovered that a contestant on Becca Kufrin’s season in 2018 had been charged in a groping case before he was
cast. Colton Underwood, the show’s lead in 2019, had a restraining order filed against him the next year by a woman he had met on the show. In 2021, the
longtime host Chris Harrison left the franchise after defending a contestant who had attended an Old South antebellum party. Mike Fleiss, the creator of “The
Bachelor,” stepped down in 2023 amid allegations of racial discrimination in the workplace.
And in 2024, the “Bachelorette” lead Jenn Tran sobbed during a live special after explaining that Devin Strader had broken off their engagement over the
phone. Days later, it was revealed that Mr. Strader’s former girlfriend had filed a restraining order against him.
How much the video of Ms. Paul’s assault will further derail the franchise is yet to be seen. Disney worded its statement on Thursday carefully, saying that
her season was being pulled “at this time.”
Erica Rose Sanders, a former contestant on “The Bachelor,” said she had watched the show less in recent years because it felt repetitive and a bit mundane.
But Ms. Paul offered the promise of something different: a woman who was divorced, who had several children, who could be unpredictable.
“A lot of times it had gotten to be cookie-cutter,” Ms. Sanders said of “The Bachelorette.” “They needed something to revitalize it, and Taylor was
definitely going to be that person.”
She is not convinced that the season is dead — especially because the controversy has drawn even more interest to the franchise.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they changed their minds,” she said, “because it would boost the ratings even more.”
Julia Jacobs contributed reporting.
Reggie Ugwu is a Times culture reporter.
Shivani Gonzalez is a news assistant at The Times who writes a weekly TV column and contributes to a variety of sections.
See more on: Walt Disney Company
Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:07:23 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #17128133
OMG! I think the bf she fought with or ex bf is the guy I posted who got a hair transplant. I don’t watch these shows. I used to watch Bachelor with my
grandmother.
I think she had two kids before him and then went with him and has a son. I don’t know their relationship, but the NFL has tons of people convicted of crimes
and sometimes they only get like a 6 game suspension.
Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:12:20 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #16480894
Here is the reality: She isn’t that attractive. He is conventionally attractive even when he had a receding hairline. I won’t guess what went on in their
relationship, but there may have been lots of jealousy as she saw he could probably get lots of women and anger built up over time. Anyway she looks to be
really short and petite and likely had to use a weapon or chair because she wouldn’t have a chance on her own to fight. He couldn’t really fight back
because of her side as he would be painted to be the aggressor.
Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:12:58 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #17613195
*her size
Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:14:23 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #18873565
I would have still liked to see this Bachelorette because of this drama. It’s sad the time of the contestants was cut now too. They should have just kept it
on with a disclaimer.
Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:14:54 -0700
zerosugar from private IP
Reply #11660183
Or they could have donated half of the money made from this season
Sun, 22 Mar 2026 13:50:41 -0700
marlon from private IP
Reply #10113565
🤣
she looks like a monkey from Brazil
@10113565 Andy 🤣
Replies require login.
