Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette Drama Escalates: Suitors Weigh Legal Action

Five former contestants from Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette are reportedly contemplating legal action following the removal of their episodes due to her domestic violence controversy.

The scheduled season was abruptly canceled just before its premiere when a disturbing video from 2023 came to light, showing the 31-year-old Paul in a violent altercation with her then-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, 33, while her young daughter, Indy, was in the vicinity.

In the footage, Paul is seen hurling a stool at Mortensen. In the background, Indy, now eight years old, can be heard crying, with Mortensen remarking, “Your daughter just got hit in the head by a metal chair.”

Following the incident, Paul, a mother of three, was arrested in 2023, with the video serving as pivotal evidence in the case. She eventually pled guilty to third-degree aggravated assault.

Although this case has been known to the public for years, a new investigation into another alleged domestic violence incident began this February. Consequently, Mortensen was granted a restraining order against Paul last Friday, citing her as an “immediate threat” to his safety.

Now it has been alleged that five men who went on The Bachelorette to compete for her hand are weighing the possibility of filing suit against the show’s network ABC and producers Warner Bros Discovery, sources told TMZ.

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for ABC and Warner Bros Discovery for comment. 

Five contestants from Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette are allegedly considering the prospect of taking legal action after their episodes were pulled

The decision to cancel came hours after TMZ published a video of the reality TV star apparently fighting with her ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen, in 2023

The suitors are said to believe Warner Bros Discovery created an unsafe work environment for them by placing them in close quarters with Paul. 

Further, the men paused their lives – in some cases supposedly giving up employment – in order to obtain a degree of fame that will now never materialize thanks to their episodes having been scrapped. 

Disney Entertainment Television, which owns ABC, released a statement confirming the company had made the decision not to move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette, just hours after the footage of the domestic violence incident was released.

Disney said its ‘focus is on supporting the family’ after canceling the 22nd season of the reality show, which was set to begin airing on Sunday, March 22.

The canceled season will reportedly cost the network a staggering $28 million. 

In the now-viral video of the altercation between Paul and her ex, the reality star is seen having an outburst, throwing a stool at Mortensen, while a child, her daughter Indy, now eight, was present.

Mortensen, who was filming the incident, said in the clip: ‘This is called physical abuse.’

The child can be heard crying as Mortensen and Paul continued fighting. Mortensen then said, ‘Your daughter just got hit in the head by a metal chair.’

Others noted that billboards in Los Angeles advertising the new season were still up as of March 19, despite the cancellation

Together, they have a son named Ever, who is two years old.

The reality star, who made her name appearing on Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, has released a statement alleging she suffered ‘extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation’ in silence for years. 

‘Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.’

Paul’s rep said that ‘there are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives.’ 

They further claimed Paul has been staying quiet ‘out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming’ and is now ‘seeking support,’ going through her options and ‘preparing to own and share her story.’

The latest domestic assault allegations may have landed Paul in further legal hot water over her 2023 case.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill told TMZ that they are looking to determine if the new assault accusations may have violated her ongoing probation from that particular case.

‘We have received the police report for the new allegations, and it is our understanding the case is being screened by the Draper City prosecutor,’ Gill told the publication. 

‘We requested the police report so our prosecutors could evaluate how those new allegations may affect the case for which the defendant is currently on probation.’

Mortensen has since denied ‘baseless claims’ made about himself and their relationship in a new statement for The Daily Mail.

In a statement, he said: ‘As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation. I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny.

‘I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same.’

Paul said she is ‘very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security’ through a representative on Thursday. 

The Daily Mail has previously reached out to representatives for Paul and ABC for further comment.