Disney’s strategy to revitalize its struggling Bachelorette franchise by selecting a lead dater with a significant reality TV following and a known penchant for drama encountered a major setback this week. The network had hoped that casting Taylor Frankie Paul, known from "Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives," would bring renewed interest to the show.

However, these plans were abruptly halted following the leak of a 2023 video depicting Paul in a violent altercation. The footage shows her aggressively throwing objects at her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, with her five-year-old child reportedly being hit in the process. While Disney and its Bachelorette producers, Warner Bros. Television, admitted prior knowledge of the incident—Paul had previously pled guilty to charges related to it—they asserted they had not viewed the specific video until recently. This revelation ultimately led to the decision to scrap Taylor Frankie Paul’s entire season of The Bachelorette.