Inside Disney's $70-million gamble on 'The Bachelorette' star Taylor Frankie Paul

In the summertime of 2025, Walt Disney Co. executives placed a large stake connected a world TV prima prone to precocious drama: messy idiosyncratic relationships and allegations of home violence.

Now, Disney’s ABC web could suffer astatine slightest $70 cardinal with a astir finished play of “The Bachelorette” sitting connected the shelf.

Last week, ABC yanked this play of “The Bachelorette,” which features 31-year-old Taylor Frankie Paul, conscionable 3 days earlier the premiere occurrence was acceptable to aerial Sunday night. Disney pulled the plug aft the emergence of a three-year-old video that showed Paul — the protagonist of Hulu’s monolithic deed series, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” — physically attacking her ex-partner.

Paul tin beryllium seen screaming and throwing metallic chairs, 1 of which seemingly struck 1 of her children who witnessed the altercation. Her onetime partner, Dakota Mortensen, recorded the video of the onslaught connected his cellphone.

Trouble has been brewing astir “The Bachelorette” for weeks arsenic Paul was doing publicity for the show.

Draper City, Utah, constabulary person separately confirmed an probe into a consequent home unit incidental successful February betwixt Mortensen and Paul. As portion of that inquiry, Paul, 31, has temporarily mislaid custody of the couple’s son, Ever, who turned 2 past week — the time the troubling video came out.

“Taylor is precise grateful for ABC’s enactment arsenic she prioritizes her family’s information and security. After years of silently suffering extended intelligence and carnal maltreatment arsenic good arsenic threats of retaliation, Taylor is yet gaining the spot to look her accuser and taking steps to guarantee that she and her children are protected from immoderate further harm,” said a spokesperson.

Representatives of Mortensen could not instantly beryllium reached for comment. In a connection to People magazine, a typical for Mortensen said that “his fig 1 precedence present is protecting” his son, Ever.

Last month, Disney requested an probe to benignant retired Paul’s and Mortensen’s differing accounts of the February incident, according to radical adjacent to the concern who were not authorized to talk publically astir the delicate situation.

The ungraded has go the archetypal large trial for Dana Walden, who past week was installed arsenic Disney’s president and main originative serviceman — the time earlier the video showing a convulsive Paul was leaked to TMZ.

The occurrence has raised uncomfortable questions astir wherefore Disney made Paul the look of 1 of ABC’s marquee franchises.

It besides has shined a airy connected the decision-making of Walden’s recently anointed ABC team: Debra OConnell, the seat of Disney Entertainment Television; Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich; and Rob Mills, Disney TV’s enforcement vice president of unscripted and alternate entertainment.

Disney declined to comment.

The web has not said whether it plans to yet aerial Paul’s play of “The Bachelorette.”

But the web made a immense investment, paying a licence interest of astir $5 cardinal an occurrence for the play to Warner Bros., said sources acquainted with the matter. The play includes 9 episodes and different programming elements, including a peculiar that ran instantly aft ABC’s Oscar telecast this month, which attracted 5.5 cardinal viewers, according to Nielsen.

Dakota Mortensen, left, and Taylor Frankie Paul are stars of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”

(Fred Hayes / Disney)

ABC besides orchestrated a immense selling blitz — billboards for the amusement had sprouted astir the country, societal media channels were crackling and Paul appeared connected ABC’s stalwart “Good Morning America,” wherever she discussed her relation connected “The Bachelorette,” wherever she dated astir 2 twelve men successful hunt of her soulmate.

She besides acknowledged simultaneously facing home maltreatment allegations, which she called a “heavy time.”

“For me, dating arsenic a ma of 3 is highly difficult,” Paul told ABC anchor Lara Spencer. “I was like, I get to spell out, get distant from my toxic rhythm present successful Utah, spell date, and besides person my kids travel retired and sojourn me. That to maine seemed like, wherefore not?”

Advertisers, including Cinnabon, person besides pulled backmost successful airy of the controversy.

Viewers person agelong been fascinated by Paul, who earned notoriety connected TikTok and formed a assemblage determination called MomTok. Her combative relationships added to the intrigue.

Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has been a monolithic hit, processing a loyal pursuing and an alternate to the “Real Housewives” franchise connected the rival network, Bravo. A clip from the amusement was included successful a Disney video montage of movies, TV shows and different headlining attractions shown to investors past week.

Mills and different Disney executives who oversee ABC and Hulu programming had been looking for ways to reinvigorate “The Bachelor” franchise, and they had taken announcement aft fans latched connected to a playful video that Paul had posted connected TikTok, expressing her tendency to articulation the long-running ABC show, which is produced by Warner Horizon.

Comments posted astir Paul’s video were intriguing, peculiarly for viewers who said that they would instrumentality to ticker “The Bachelorette,” if it featured her.

“I flew retired to Utah and met with her and she was superior [about joining],” Mills told The Times 2 weeks earlier the controversy. “Then I sent her roses the adjacent time and said, “Would you beryllium ‘The Bachelorette’ and the remainder is history.”

Disney recognized that Paul’s narration with Mortensen was messy.

Disney executives were alert of the altercation successful 2023 and concisely debated internally whether to determination guardant with Paul successful a salient relation successful “Mormon Wives,” according to a root adjacent to the concern but not authorized to comment. Paul is an enforcement shaper connected that show.

The archetypal occurrence of the archetypal play of “Mormon Wives,” which debuted successful September 2024, featured Utah constabulary bodycam footage from the February 2023 combat that was the taxable of the just-released video.

The last moments of the astir caller play ended with Paul and Mortensen sleeping unneurotic again, the nighttime earlier she was scheduled to alert to L.A. to statesman filming “The Bachelorette.” She missed her archetypal flight, but took a aboriginal flight.

Disney besides has paused filming connected “Mormon Wives” during accumulation of its 5th season.

Over the show’s four-season run, determination person been tensions among the castmates, which accelerated arsenic Paul and the different wives pursued fame successful different venues, including connected ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

When the caller allegations of home unit surfaced, castmates expressed concerns astir moving with her, which contributed to the determination to prosecute an extracurricular instrumentality steadfast to investigate.

The steadfast was hired, astatine Disney’s request, by the show’s accumulation firm, Jeff Jenkins Productions, based successful Sherman Oaks.

Times Staff Writer Yvonne Villarreal contributed to this report.