Inside Disney's $70-million Gamble On 'the Bachelorette' Star Taylor Frankie Paul

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

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

Last week, ABC yanked this play of “The Bachelorette,” which features 31-year-old Taylor Frankie Paul, conscionable 3 days earlier nan premiere section was group to aerial Sunday night. Disney pulled nan plug aft nan emergence of a three-year-old video that showed Paul — nan 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 apparently struck 1 of her children who witnessed nan altercation. Her onetime partner, Dakota Mortensen, recorded nan video of nan onslaught connected his cellphone.

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

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

“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support arsenic she prioritizes her family’s information and security. After years of silently suffering extended intelligence and beingness maltreatment arsenic good arsenic threats of retaliation, Taylor is yet gaining nan 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 number 1 privilege present is protecting” his son, Ever.

Last month, Disney requested an investigation to benignant retired Paul’s and Mortensen’s differing accounts of nan February incident, according to group adjacent to nan business who were not authorized to speak publically nan delicate situation.

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

The section has raised uncomfortable questions astir why Disney made Paul nan look of 1 of ABC’s marquee franchises.

It besides has shined a ray connected nan decision-making of Walden’s recently anointed ABC team: Debra OConnell, nan chair of Disney Entertainment Television; Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich; and Rob Mills, Disney TV’s executive vice president of unscripted and replacement entertainment.

Disney declined to comment.

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

But nan web made a immense investment, paying a licence interest of astir $5 cardinal an section for nan play to Warner Bros., said sources acquainted pinch nan matter. The play includes 9 episodes and different programming elements, including a typical 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 trading blitz — advertisements for nan show had germinated astir nan country, societal media channels were crackling and Paul appeared connected ABC’s stalwart “Good Morning America,” wherever she discussed her domiciled 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, making love arsenic a mom 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, why not?”

Advertisers, including Cinnabon, person besides pulled backmost successful ray of nan controversy.

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

Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has been a monolithic hit, processing a loyal pursuing and an replacement to nan “Real Housewives” franchise connected nan rival network, Bravo. A clip from nan show 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 desire to subordinate nan 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 return to watch “The Bachelorette,” if it featured her.

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

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

Disney executives were alert of nan altercation successful 2023 and concisely debated internally whether to move guardant pinch Paul successful a salient domiciled successful “Mormon Wives,” according to a root adjacent to nan business but not authorized to comment. Paul is an executive shaper connected that show.

The first section of nan first play of “Mormon Wives,” which debuted successful September 2024, featured Utah constabulary bodycam footage from nan February 2023 conflict that was nan taxable of nan just-released video.

The last moments of nan astir caller play ended pinch Paul and Mortensen sleeping together again, nan nighttime earlier she was scheduled to alert to L.A. to statesman filming “The Bachelorette.” She missed her first flight, but took a later flight.

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

Cast members had expressed concerns astir moving pinch Paul, which contributed to nan determination to bring an extracurricular rule patient to reappraisal nan matter. The patient was hired, astatine Disney’s request, by nan show’s accumulation firm, Jeff Jenkins Productions, based successful Sherman Oaks.

Times Staff Writer Yvonne Villarreal contributed to this report.