ABC canceled Taylor Frankie Paul’s completed season of The Bachelorette on March 19, 2026—just three days before its scheduled premiere—after video from a 2023 altercation became public. Disney Entertainment Television said it was no longer moving forward with the season “at this time.” ABC replaced the planned March 22 premiere with a rerun of American Idol.
The decision followed renewed attention to Paul’s 2023 arrest and plea arrangement, as well as separate police investigations and family-court proceedings involving Paul and her former partner, Dakota Mortensen. Those matters must be kept distinct: ABC’s decision is not a new criminal finding against Paul in 2026, and the later allegations have not resulted in new domestic-violence charges.
Content note: This article discusses domestic-violence allegations, criminal proceedings, protective orders, custody disputes and footage involving a child. It does not reproduce graphic details from the video.
Why ABC pulled the season
ABC announced on March 19 that it would not proceed with Paul’s season of The Bachelorette after video from a February 2023 incident surfaced publicly. The footage, first reported by TMZ and subsequently described by ABC News and The Associated Press, appears to show a physical altercation between Paul and Mortensen while a child was nearby.
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ABC’s statement said the network was “no longer moving forward” with the season “at this time.” Contemporary coverage described the decision as a cancellation, pull or shelving of the season, but ABC has not announced whether the completed footage will ever be released, sold or rescheduled.
That distinction matters because the season was not merely in development. Production took place in November and December 2025, and Paul had indicated that filming had wrapped. ABC therefore pulled a completed season three days before its planned broadcast rather than abandoning an unfilmed project.
What happened to the March 22 premiere?
ABC replaced the scheduled premiere with a repeat of American Idol. As of August 12, 2026, no authoritative ABC announcement has confirmed a new premiere date, a streaming release, a sale to another outlet or any other disposition of the season.
The most accurate description is that ABC canceled or shelved the filmed season on March 19, with no confirmed rescheduling. It is too strong to say that the season has definitively been destroyed or that it will never be shown.
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| Date | Development | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| February 17, 2023 | Herriman police responded to a domestic-violence report involving Paul and Mortensen. | Police records described probable cause for Paul’s arrest and listed charges including aggravated assault, domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse and criminal mischief. |
| August 2023 | Paul entered a plea in abeyance on an aggravated-assault count. | Reporting based on court records says the arrangement included probation and permitted the felony charge to be reduced after the required period if conditions were met. The other charges were dismissed. “Plea in abeyance” is the more precise description than simply calling it a guilty plea. |
| 2024 and February 24–25, 2026 | Police investigated additional allegations involving Paul and Mortensen. | Authorities said allegations had been made in both directions. Officials declined to release details while the investigations were active. |
| March 19, 2026 | Video from the 2023 incident became public, and ABC canceled the season. | The video renewed attention to the earlier case. It did not establish a new 2026 offense. |
| April 14–15, 2026 | The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said Paul would not face new domestic-violence charges related to the later disputes. | Prosecutors said some incidents did not rise to the level of criminal offenses and that other allegations lacked sufficient evidence for charges. That decision did not resolve separate custody or protective-order proceedings. |
| April 30, 2026 | A Utah court entered mutual protective orders for three years. | The orders required Paul and Mortensen to remain at least 100 feet apart and warned that violations could carry criminal consequences. At the time, Mortensen had temporary custody of their son and Paul’s visitation was supervised. |
| July 2026 | Public reporting described continuing custody and juvenile-court disputes. | Paul disputed or contextualized claims in court filings and said she had regained her son for a longer period of parenting time. Those public statements are party claims, not final judicial findings. |
Why the 2023 case should not be conflated with the 2026 investigation
The video that triggered ABC’s decision came from the 2023 incident investigated by Herriman police. It was not footage of the later matters investigated by police in the Salt Lake County area. Draper police specifically said that the viral video was from a 2023 case and did not occur in Draper.
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In the 2023 matter, police records described the circumstances supporting an arrest, and Paul later entered a plea in abeyance on an aggravated-assault count. A plea in abeyance is a court arrangement that can allow a charge to be reduced or otherwise resolved after conditions are completed; it should not be casually rewritten as a conviction or as an acquittal.
The later allegations are a separate layer of the story. Mortensen denied wrongdoing, while a representative for Paul alleged that Paul had experienced abuse and threats. Because authorities said allegations were made in both directions, those claims should remain attributed rather than presented as established facts unless a court determines otherwise.
Paul’s place in the Bachelor franchise
ABC announced Paul as the season 22 Bachelorette in September or October 2025. The casting represented a significant crossover strategy. Paul was not primarily known as a contestant from the traditional Bachelor pipeline; she was a central figure in Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and the broader #MomTok influencer community.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThat background gave ABC an established social-media audience and connected the long-running dating franchise to a newer reality-TV ecosystem. It also meant that the controversy immediately affected more than one television property.
For background on Paul’s reality-TV career, viewers can watch The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives through its authorized streaming home. Hulu’s official materials identify the show as a Hulu Original starring Paul. Hulu’s guide lists four available seasons and says the series streams on Hulu; later franchise materials also describe the series as available through Hulu and Disney+, so availability can depend on the service and territory.
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What happened to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives?
The Hulu series was not canceled in the same way as Paul’s Bachelorette season. Hulu’s official materials list season 4 as premiering on March 12, 2026. Reporting in April said production on season 5 resumed after a pause related to the controversy.
Later July reporting said Paul would return to the Hulu franchise in a limited capacity. That development concerns the Hulu show and does not mean ABC restored, rescheduled or released The Bachelorette season.
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What the April charging decision does—and does not—settle
The district attorney’s April decision not to file new domestic-violence charges was narrower than some social-media summaries suggested. Prosecutors said some reported incidents did not amount to criminal offenses and that other allegations did not have enough evidence to support charges.
That decision does not erase the 2023 plea-in-abeyance arrangement. It also does not automatically decide whether protective orders are necessary, how custody should be structured or what visitation arrangement is appropriate. Criminal charging decisions, protective-order proceedings and custody cases use different legal standards and address different questions.
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Similarly, a protective order is not the same thing as a criminal conviction. The mutual orders entered April 30 imposed enforceable restrictions on contact and distance, but the existence of mutual orders alone does not establish that every allegation made by either party was proven.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWhere the canceled season stands now
There is no confirmed broadcast or streaming date for the season, and no public announcement located in this reporting confirms that ABC will release the footage in any form. The season remains best described as canceled or shelved, with its ultimate fate unresolved.
The absence of a reschedule is separate from the future of Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Hulu continued to present that franchise as available, and reporting indicated that season 5 production continued, with Paul expected to appear only in a limited capacity.
How to read coverage of the controversy responsibly
- Separate the dates. The viral video concerns a 2023 incident. The additional police investigations occurred in 2024 and February 2026.
- Use precise legal language. Paul entered a plea in abeyance on an aggravated-assault count; reporting should not casually convert that arrangement into a broader claim about every allegation.
- Attribute descriptions of the footage. Reports described footage appearing to show physical violence and a nearby crying child. Those descriptions should be tied to the video and reporting rather than presented as an independently adjudicated narrative.
- Do not turn allegations into findings. Claims involving both Paul and Mortensen remain claims unless established by a court or supported by an official determination.
- Protect children’s privacy. There is no editorial need to publish identifying details about the child or to reproduce graphic footage.
Anyone facing domestic violence or concerned about immediate safety should contact local emergency services when necessary. In the United States, the National Domestic Violence Hotline provides confidential safety-planning and support resources.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
Was Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette filmed?
Yes. Production took place in November and December 2025, and the season was pulled after filming had wrapped. ABC canceled it three days before its scheduled March 22, 2026, premiere.
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Why did ABC cancel Taylor Frankie Paul’s season?
ABC said on March 19, 2026, that it was no longer moving forward with the season after video from a 2023 altercation surfaced. ABC did not announce a new release date or explain the final disposition of the completed footage.
Did Taylor Frankie Paul face new charges in 2026?
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said in April 2026 that Paul would not face new domestic-violence charges arising from the later disputes. That decision was separate from Paul’s 2023 plea-in-abeyance arrangement and from the family-court proceedings.
Will ABC ever release the canceled season?
No authoritative announcement located as of August 12, 2026, confirmed a broadcast, streaming release or sale of the season. Its future remains unresolved.
Is Taylor Frankie Paul still appearing on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives?
Reporting in July 2026 said Paul would return to the Hulu series in a limited capacity after season 5 production resumed. That is separate from the canceled ABC season.
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The Bottom Line
Bottom line: ABC pulled Taylor Frankie Paul’s already-filmed The Bachelorette season on March 19, 2026, after video from a 2023 altercation became public. The later 2026 allegations did not lead to new domestic-violence charges, but protective-order and custody proceedings remained separate and ongoing. As of August 12, there was still no confirmed plan to broadcast or stream the canceled season.
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