- The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 5 filming has halted due to an alleged dispute between Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen.
- ABC has officially canceled Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette after footage of a 2023 altercation with Dakota leaked.
- Several Bachelor Nation alumni have weighed in on the scandal and cancellation of Taylor’s season, which was set to premiere on Sunday, March 22.
Taylor Frankie Paul was officially the next face of The Bachelorette until ABC canceled the season three days before its scheduled premiere on Sunday, March 22. The update comes after reports of a domestic incident involving her ex, Dakota Mortensen, surfaced via People and TMZ on March 16.
Once a clip of Taylor throwing chairs at Dakota leaked to TMZ on March 19, ABC issued a statement on the status of her Bachelorette season, writing, “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.”
A spokesperson for Taylor addressed the controversy in a statement released to People.that same day. “It’s sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child,” they said. “Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show and from their own experiences.”
As for the men competing for Taylor’s heart this season, a source told Us Weekly that they “have all been rallying around each other in solidarity and feel extremely upset and let down by Taylor and the situation,” while TMZ reports that they were all “shocked” and “blindsided” by the headlines.
Amid the reported drama and cancellation, several Bachelor Nation alumni have shared their thoughts on Taylor’s involvement on The Bachelorette. Here’s what former cast members of the fan-favorite reality series, from Charity Lawson to Ben Higgins, have said.
Sydney Warner
On the flip side, Sydney had her criticisms of Taylor stepping in as the Bachelorette after Dakota claimed he had allegedly slept with her the night before she left for filming.
“This is so upsetting,” Sydney wrote on her March 16 Instagram Stories. “I am a result of being on The Bachelor, I owe a lot to that franchise. The Bachelor is one of the most iconic shows of all time & was so highly respected because they held the contestants to such a standard. It was such an honor to be on the cast, let alone be casted as the LEAD. That’s life changing.”
She added, “To watch this and see the soon to be lead completely disrespect the stage that she has been given, the men who put their entire lives on hold to come and meet her is horrible. What has happened to morals and values?”
Charity Lawson
Charity, who served as The Bachelorette back in 2023, seemed to react to reports of Taylor and Dakota’s dispute when she posted a TikTok video on March 16 where she claimed “Dating shows are not for you to find healing.”
“This is for whoever — I’m speaking from a mental health standpoint and let’s be very clear in this day, I’m going to advocate for the well being of cast members whoever they are if I see a noticeable problem,” Charity wrote in the comments section of the clip. “Mental health is not a joke and should be taken seriously.” Sydney also chimed in with a comment, writing, “Preach. Thank you for speaking with your chest and stating that what is going on is actually not OK.”
Ben Higgins
On the March 17 episode of his Almost Famous podcast, Ben admitted that the franchise “doesn’t have the best track record of casting people or doing background checks on people.”
“There’s forgiveness, and there’s grace…but it doesn’t mean you come on a reality show looking to find your partner in front of all of us and make yourself susceptible to the criticisms and the praise that come with this show. That, mentally, is taxing in itself,” he said.
DeAnna Pappas
During the March 18 episode of the Almost Famous podcast, DeAnna shared she feels “so sad” for Taylor, her ex, and their child amid the reported drama.
“It doesn’t feel good the way they’re releasing things and making this woman — the lead of a show — making her live through it over and over and over again,” she said.
The season 4 Bachelorette, who was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in February 2025, later added, “She went to an event, she showed face, because she is trying to promote a show that she has done, and she sounds broken. I almost cried, Heather, listening to it, because you can hear the pain in her voice when she is speaking — that it took all she had to get there that night.”
Amanda Stanton
Amanda, who competed on Ben’s season of The Bachelor in 2016, shared her thoughts on Taylor’s casting during the March 18 the Between Us Moms podcast, which was recorded before reports of Taylor and Dakota’s dispute had surfaced on March 16.
“I thought it was an interesting choice,” Amanda said at the time. “I was so happy that they chose her…so happy to see that they picked someone who wasn’t that exact fit that they’ve gone with for so many years.”
Grant Ellis
“It’s an unfortunate situation,” season 29 Bachelor, Grant Ellis, told TMZ. “I think ABC needed to take a stance and they did that.”
He added, “I think if they would have aired this season, it would have left room for interpretation, and you know, they did the right thing. They made the right choice. Although it’s going to take some time to recoup, it’s the right thing to do morally.”
Rachel Lindsay
The former lead was recording an episode of her Bachelor Party podcast when clips of Taylor and Dakota’s altercation surfaced.
“This morning we saw the video,” she said, adding, “I said, ‘It’s over.’ That was my thing. … There’s no way, under any brand, but particularly Disney, that you can proceed when this video comes out.”
Jillian Anderson
“As a former Bachelor contestant, I can tell you that ABC thoroughly vets every part of your personal history,” The Bachelor season 19 alum wrote. “Given that Frankie Taylor Paul already had a public profile, it’s hard to believe they didn’t know exactly who she was going in to this season.”
Carolina Quixano
“The most dramatic season yet indeed 😩 #thebachelorette,” Carolina captioned an Instagram video, which included the audio, “I’m not saying she deserved it, but God’s timing is always right.”
Jill Chin
Bachelor Mansion Takeover contestant Jill also posted a video on her Instagram Stories, suggesting that Olympian Ilona Maher should have been the Bachelorette instead. “That’s who’s deserving of falling in love on a national stage,” she said in the clip.
Sam McKinney
Season 21 Bachelorette contestant Sam McKinney also spoke out on his Instagram Stories, saying, “What did you expect? What did anybody expect? Imagine getting the villain edit … America’s not buying that shit. If anybody watched my season, if there’s one thing that you can learn from is that you reap what you sow. The truth will always come out.”
Thomas Jacobs
Season 17 Bachelorette contestant Thomas agreed with ABC when it came to “scratching” the season.
“So I just tried to watch a very disturbing video and I couldn’t get through it,” Thomas said of Taylor and Dakota’s altercation on his Instagram Stories. “What I just saw is something that honestly makes me sick, and to continue to support this and to ask an audience to support this and encourage this behavior and celebrate it … it just is so dang wrong.”
Clare Crawley
Clare, who was on season 18 of The Bachelor, penned a lengthy statement on her Instagram Stories on March 19.
“I truly don’t believe this season should air,” she wrote, later adding, “For her benefit and for everyone involved. The responsible decision is to pull it and prioritize accountability, support, and real healing — away from the spotlight. I also believe ABC and Hulu should stand firmly behind a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to abuse — regardless of who it is.”
Zac Clark
In an Instagram video posted on March 19, Zac said, in part, “If ABC is canceling the show, there are millions and millions and millions of dollars tied to that production. It’s serious. Which leads me to my next thought, none of that matters. The other guys on the cast, doesn’t matter. The money being lost doesn’t matter at the end of the day. What matters are the human lives involved here.”
Blake Horstmann
“Wow never thought this would happen,” Blake wrote on his Instagram Stories.
He later added, “I do think this is the right move. I feel terrible for the producers and all the people behind the scenes who worked 20 hr days through out her season. A lot of them really do care and put everything they have to make sure this show is successful.”
