On March 19, ABC canceled the 22nd season of the reality TV franchise “The Bachelorette,” just three days before its scheduled premiere on March 22. This decision came after a 2023 video emerged showing bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul involved in a physical altercation with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.
According to KSL, canceling Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” could be financially detrimental to the ABC network due to high production costs and potential loss of advertising revenue and viewership.
“Each episode of the series costs an estimated $2 million to produce, and a typical season of ‘The Bachelorette’ runs nine to 13 episodes,” reported KSL. “At that rate, the network is projected to lose between $18 million and $26 million in production costs.”
Paul is best known as a reality TV personality on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and as a social media influencer who created “MomTok,” a group of Mormon mothers in the Utah area on TikTok.
“I used to watch ‘The Bachelor’ a lot, but ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ is this phenomenon that I’m not missing an episode of, and that’s why I think ABC chose Taylor Frankie Paul to be the bachelorette in the first place,” said senior Tori Cutalo.
“Normally, the bachelorette is a girl who’s on the previous Bachelor season, but she hasn’t been previously affiliated with them at all,” said Cutalo.
“I was only going to watch the season because of her,” said senior Anna Allegretti. “Since it’s canceled, they’re losing a lot of viewership. This is a lose-lose situation because they’re getting backlash for canceling but also getting backlash for having her on the show.”
KSL also reported that contestants on “The Bachelorette” and other shows within the franchise do not receive financial compensation for their participation.
“Participating often comes with significant personal costs, especially since many take time off work or quit their jobs to film the show,” reported KSL.
“I think it’s important that the video was released. Many people were putting both of them on a pedestal for morals, but now that this is all coming out, I’m hoping they’re both going to change how they are for themselves and for their kids,” said senior Sophia Delorenzo. “The video itself was heartbreaking, with her daughter there. I’m hoping this is their wake-up call that they need to change at the end of the day.”
According to People, Paul faced legal repercussions in 2023 after the video surfaced, resulting in her arrest for alleged domestic violence. She faced additional charges of assault, criminal mischief and domestic violence in the presence of a child.
People also reported that Paul later “pled guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault, which means that if she complies with the conditions of the plea, that charge will be dismissed.”
“ABC has not formally announced any future seasons of ‘The Bachelorette’ or ‘The Bachelor,’” KSL reported.
According to People, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has halted filming for season five.
“The fact that they were not airing the whole season that a lot of people were excited about, and would have brought in a whole new fanbase, I think ‘The Bachelor’ franchise will die out,” said Allegretti.
