Disney Finds Itself at a Reality Show Crossroads After Taylor Frankie Paul Controversy
Disney finds itself at a reality show crossroads after hitting pause on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and canceling the upcoming season of The Bachelorette.
The drastic decisions came after TMZ released a 2023 video showing Taylor Frankie Paul throwing a chair at her ex-husband, Dakota Mortensen, and reportedly accidentally hitting her child, who was nearby.
Paul, who has long been featured in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and was set to star in the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, has maintained that she was the victim of domestic violence and abuse.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security. After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, 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,” they said.
Photo: Yahoo
“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. Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
Disney Has Paused Both Shows
As reports about the Paul video began to surface, Disney decided to pause production on Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Subsequently, when TMZ released the video, ABC canceled its plans for The Bachelorette three days before Paul’s season was set to begin.
The Bachelorette
“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. Our focus is on supporting the family,” a Disney spokesperson said.
‘The Bachelorette’ Decision
According to a new report from Deadline, Disney is currently deciding what to do with both The Bachelorette and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The latter show has already been picked up for Season 6.
Photo: Disney
The chaos comes just days after Disney reshuffled its Entertainment division and Dana Walden assumed the role of President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company.
Photo: Deadline
The Deadline report indicates that it was the newly installed chairman of Disney Entertainment Television, Debra OConnell, who made the decision to cancel The Bachelorette.
‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, meanwhile, shut down production earlier this month after audio of the Paul video was released.
Rob Mills, Disney’s head of unscripted television, was on the call with the cast earlier this month discussing the show’s future.
According to NBC News, which acquired audio from the call, Mills said, “This is not me putting my head in the sand. But it’s not me — you know, I don’t want to inquire. Because I don’t know what that does.”
Disney, he said, is “never going to hide anything that is wrong for the sake of business.”
Photo: Disney
Before the video’s release, Mills was optimistic that The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives would continue.
“I want this to continue, and I want everyone to continue really being successful. Both with this show and beyond it,” he said. “But I think really, just navigating through this thing and taking care of each other is the most important thing right now.”
Photo: MickeyBlog\
