ABC Surprises Viewers with Unexpected Programming in Place of Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette Debut

The anticipation for the next season of American Idol was cut short this week, catching fans off guard.

ABC recently decided not to launch Taylor Frankie Paul‘s season of The Bachelorette as originally scheduled on March 22. Instead, the network opted to air a repeat episode of the popular talent show.

The change came after a video from 2023 emerged on March 19, depicting a physical confrontation between Taylor and her then-partner, Dakota Mortensen. In response, Disney Entertainment, which owns ABC and Hulu, released a statement explaining their course of action.

“Given the emergence of the video today,” a Disney spokesperson informed E! News, “we have decided to pause the upcoming season of The Bachelorette. Our priority is to offer support to the family involved.”

Taylor, who has a child with Dakota and two more with her former husband Tate Paul, responded through her representative. The statement to E! News described the video as part of “a harmful campaign against Taylor,” criticizing its release as “a despicable diversion from Dakota’s actions.”