ABC pulled the plug on season 22 following a leaked video of Paul from a 2023 domestic violence incident.

Taylor Frankie Paul’s reported final rose pick is sending her ‘prayers’ after The Bachelorette cancellation

ABC pulled the plug on season 22 following a leaked video of Paul from a 2023 domestic violence incident.

By Sarah Hearon

March 20, 2026 11:32 a.m. ET

Doug was set to appear on Taylor Frankie Paul's season of 'The Bachelorette'. Credit:

Disney/Evan Mulling; Disney/Bahareh Ritter

Spoiler alert — kind of?

Doug Mason — the man whom longtime Bachelor Nation spoiler guru Reality Steve reported to win season 22 of *The Bachelorette* — is speaking out after ABC pulled the plug on Taylor Frankie Paul’s journey.

“In light of everything that has happened, I am just sending prayers to Taylor because that was her moment and her moment was blocked. All we can do right now is just be hopeful, and I am headed off to run to watch the sunrise,” Mason said on Friday via Instagram Stories. “I hope you guys have a great day, and let’s stay positive and show nothing but support for people in need.”

Paul later reacted to a TikTok about his post (which also referred to Mason as the apparent winner), writing, "Aw my heart goes out to him ❤️‍🩹 so sweet."

*The Sun* previously published photos of Mason and Paul arriving at the same venue as Paul on March 14. The current status of their relationship is unclear, but Reality Steve reports that they had called it quits.

It would be just a matter of days before the controversy surrounding Paul came to a head, beginning with season 5 of her Hulu series, *The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives*, being put on pause amid a police investigation into an alleged February incident between Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.

The situation escalated on Thursday when TMZ published footage from Paul and Mortensen’s 2023 altercation, which led to Paul’s arrest at the time. While the incident was documented on season 1 of Mormon Wives (and Paul pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault as part of a plea deal), the new footage took social media by storm.

"It's sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child," Paul's rep said in a statement after the video dropped. "Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son's birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences."

Hours later, ABC announced that Paul’s season, set to premiere on Sunday, March 22, would not air. An *American Idol* rerun will air in its place.

"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 told **.

The drama between Paul and Mortensen, who share 2-year-old son Ever, didn’t stop there. She has since released a second statement with a series of new allegations, while Mortensen filed a request for a restraining order.

"Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security," Paul’s rep said on Thursday. "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. 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."

Mortensen replied to Paul’s spokesperson in a statement of his own.

"As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation," Mortensen said in a statement to EW. "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."

Taylor Frankie Paul's ex Dakota Mortensen reacts to domestic violence investigation

Who is Taylor Frankie Paul? All about her journey from #MomTok and 'Mormon Wives' to 'The Bachelorette'

Prior to the news that ABC pulled the season, Paul spoke to EW about the ending of her journey, which she had previously described as “very Taylor.”

"It was very unexpected [and] unpredictable," she said on Tuesday. "And I know given the recent season of *Secret Lives* — which was very predictable, if you will, quote-unquote, but… I don't know what my next move is, to be honest, so I feel like that is also in the season of this."

Circling back to Mason, his ABC bio had described him as an “ocean lifeguard” and surfer who was “ready to dive headfirst into this journey with Taylor.”

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“When he’s not at the beach, Doug enjoys watching Friends, cheering on the Lakers, and spending quality time with his sister,” his bio read. “He’s incredibly close with his family and hopes to have a big family of his own someday. At his core, Doug is passionate about helping others and has dedicated his life to keeping people safe. Just as sweet as he is handsome, we can’t wait to see if sparks fly when Doug meets our Bachelorette.”

Paul had previously told *Us Weekly* that she was very open with her suitors about her past struggles, scandals (including soft-swinging), and Mortensen.

“I think I got asked about all of ’em during individual convos, and I was ready for it. I’ve got nothing else to hide,” she said last month. “My arrest will always be a sensitive subject given the circumstances in that. Swinging — that’s such a scandal headline — but it’s also a very traumatic time in my life. That was one of my rock-bottom points. I lost my family, my husband. It’s so much deeper than that to me, and deep conversations were had. I think anyone that actually cares about me would definitely be asking those.”

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Reality”