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ABC pulled Taylor Frankie Paul’s already-filmed season of The Bachelorette on March 19, 2026, three days before its scheduled March 22 premiere. Disney Entertainment Television said the decision followed a newly released video from a 2023 altercation involving Paul and her former partner, Dakota Mortensen. That stated reason is the clearest explanation the network has given, and it is the reason this article focuses on.
What the network said caused the decision
Disney Entertainment Television issued a statement on March 19, 2026, saying the company had decided not to proceed with the new season. The statement tied the decision directly to a video that had just come to light:
“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.”
The statement explains the network’s rationale. It does not establish what happened in 2023, and it does not settle any legal or investigative question.
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Timeline of the cancellation
The sequence below is drawn from contemporaneous reporting. Each entry names the outlet that reported it.
| Date | What happened | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Altercation between Paul and Dakota Mortensen. Paul was arrested, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge, and other counts were dismissed. | AP and CBS/AP |
| Before March 2026 | Paul is announced as the lead of season 22 of The Bachelorette. The season is filmed and set to premiere March 22, 2026. | Contemporaneous reporting cited by the network coverage |
| March 19, 2026 | TMZ publishes video of the 2023 altercation. AP describes the footage as showing physical violence between Paul and Mortensen, with a child audible in the background. | TMZ; AP |
| March 19, 2026 | ABC announces the season will not move forward. Disney Entertainment Television cites the newly released video. | ABC and Disney Entertainment Television statement |
| March 22, 2026 | The scheduled premiere date, which no longer applies to this season. | Scheduled date from pre-cancellation reporting |
| March 2026 | A separate police investigation becomes public. The department says allegations have been made in both directions. | ABC News |
| Mid-September 2026 | Marie Claire reports there is no firm plan to reschedule the shelved season. | Marie Claire |
Two separate matters: the 2023 case and the 2026 investigation
Readers often treat the 2023 altercation and the 2026 police investigation as one story. Reporting keeps them apart, and the difference matters for understanding the network’s decision.
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The 2023 case
According to AP and CBS/AP, Paul was arrested in 2023 in connection with the altercation with Mortensen. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge, and other counts were dismissed. That is a resolved criminal matter. The video that surfaced in March 2026 showed events from that same incident.
The 2026 investigation
A separate investigation was reported in March 2026. ABC News reported that the police department said allegations had been made in both directions and that it would not release details of an active investigation unless there was an immediate public-safety impact. No finding has been reported from that investigation in the sources reviewed for this article. Allegations from either party should be read as claims, not established facts.
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Where the season stands now
The most recent report located for this article is from mid-September 2026. Marie Claire reported that there was no firm plan to reschedule the season. That is a status as of that date, not a confirmation that the season will never air. Any future change would depend on decisions by ABC and Disney Entertainment Television, and none had been announced in the reporting reviewed here.
Readers looking for a current answer should check ABC’s programming announcements and the latest reporting from AP or ABC News, since the status could change after this article’s publication.
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- Compact without compromises: Our sleek design won’t block neighboring HDMI ports, and it even powers from your TV alone, plugging into the back and staying out of sight. No wall outlet, no extra cords, no clutter.
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- Shows on the go: Take your TV to-go when traveling—without needing to log into someone else’s device.
What this does and does not explain
The network’s stated reason is the newly released 2023 video. It is not a ruling on the 2023 case, which ended in a guilty plea to a misdemeanor, and it is not a finding about the 2026 investigation, which remained open in the reporting reviewed. Those three threads are distinct, and the cancellation rests on the first one alone.
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- ABC pulled the season three days before its scheduled premiere.
- Disney Entertainment Television explicitly cited the newly released 2023 video.
- The 2023 case and the 2026 investigation are separate matters.
- As of mid-September 2026 reporting, there was no firm plan to reschedule the season.
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