Weeks before ABC abruptly canceled The Bachelorette, its lead’s TV co-stars tried to warn the network of her disturbing past, including the newly released video of her domestic abuse.
Taylor Frankie Paul’s fellow cast members on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives told multiple ABC and Disney executives about Paul’s “distressing” and “upsetting” video in a 30-minute meeting, audio leaked to NBC News revealed.
In the Mar. 7 meeting, one of the Mormon Wives said it was “concerning” that no executive was interested in the details of the newly released footage that showed Paul, 31, throwing metal barstools at her ex, Dakota Mortensen, 33, in 2023, one of which appears to possibly strike her daughter, who was just five at the time.
“I don’t know a lot, nor do I want to know too much,” Rob Mills, the executive vice president of unscripted and alternative entertainment at Walt Disney Television, told the Mormon Wives.
“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,” Mills added.
Later in the meeting, one cast member asked the Disney executive if he was “aware she’s hurt a child,” to which Mills replied, “I don’t think, for us, getting into it is right.”
“I want this to continue, and I want everyone to continue really being successful, both with this show and beyond it,” Mills said, “But I think really, just navigating through this thing and taking care of each other is the most important thing right now.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to ABC/Disney to confirm details of the meeting.
On Thursday, ABC announced that it would not air The Bachelorette, just three days before it was scheduled to premiere.
“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 Disney spokesperson said in a statement to The Daily Beast.
Mills encouraged the Mormon Wives to speak out about their concerns on the show, emphasizing that the company is “never going to hide anything that is wrong for the sake of business,” but declined to make promises beyond that.
During the meeting, the Mormon Wives stars agreed to suspend filming of their wildly popular Hulu show in light of Paul’s ongoing investigation.
“It’s a dangerous situation, it’s a sad situation, and we don’t know how to navigate it, because Taylor is our friend,” a cast member told ABC executives in the Zoom meeting.
Paul, who already pleaded guilty to an aggravated assault charge last summer, is the subject of an open domestic assault investigation by the Draper Police Department in Utah regarding her relationship with Moretensen.
In 2023, Paul was charged with assault, criminal mischief, and domestic violence in the presence of a child, according to NBC News.
After the video surfaced, Mortensen filed for a restraining order against Paul and for temporary full custody of their child, according to TMZ. The petition also includes requests for Paul to refrain from drinking or using drugs while actively parenting.
