• ABC cancelled The Bachelorette yesterday (March 19) after hours of “crisis talks.”
  • A source claims it was “like a bomb went off at the network’s offices.”
  • ABC is looking at filling “months” of Sunday night programming.

ABC canceled The Bachelorette yesterday, just hours after TMZ released a video of a 2023 domestic incident between Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex Dakota Mortensen. A Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson released a statement confirming the news, saying, “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”

The statement came after a reportedly chaotic few hours of “crisis talks” at the network. “Execs did not see the video until the rest of the world did. It’s an absolute shock and a complete failure on every level,” a source tells The Sun. “ABC should’ve done more due diligence, but they also feel Taylor downplayed her past issues and weren’t fully honest with them. Had they known the extent of this, they never would have cast her in the first place.”

The source added that “active crisis talks were being had all day on Thursday” and it was “like a bomb went off at the network’s offices. Many network executives wanted to call the season and felt there’s no way to move forward. A few [higher-ups] were still holding out because of the astronomical cost it would be to pull the season this last minute.” On top of that, ABC is now looking at needing to fill “months of Sunday night programming that they aren’t prepared for.”

Meanwhile, another insider tells the Daily Mail, “Everyone feels like we put together such a great season, a satisfying season. And now this. It’s a nightmare. There are breakout bachelors, a lot of drama. Some sweet moments. Everyone was so happy with how it turned out, and now this has ruined everything.”

Oh, and yet another source tells Us Weekly that “ABC is livid over the situation. Taylor had a breach of contract, and they are internally investigating. They have already lost a lot of money. They face losing $40 to $50 million now that they’ve canceled.”

ABC is also reportedly concerned about the future of The Bachelor, especially when it comes to casting, which you can read about below: