ABC has made the decision to shelve an entire season of The Bachelorette after domestic violence allegations against the show’s lead resurfaced just days before the scheduled premiere.
Taylor Frankie Paul, who became a household name through her appearance on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reality series, was set to star in the upcoming season of the popular dating show. However, the network pulled the plug on airing the completed season following renewed scrutiny over past domestic violence claims.
The timing proved particularly awkward for Paul, who attended the Academy Awards ceremony just one week before her Bachelorette debut was originally scheduled to hit television screens. The season had already been filmed in its entirety before the network made the unprecedented decision to cancel its broadcast.
This marks a rare instance where a major television network has scrapped a completed reality show season due to controversy surrounding its star. The allegations have cast a shadow over Paul’s rising television career, which had been building momentum following her reality TV success.
ABC has not announced whether they plan to reshoot the season with a different lead or if they will move forward with alternative programming in the show’s time slot.
