The cancellation of ABC’s new season of “The Bachelorette” will cost the network tens of millions of dollars, sources told Page Six.
“It could be $50 million (or more). Someone should be fired for this. It’s ridiculous,” an insider told Page Six.
Former “The Secret Life of Mormons” star Taylor Frankie Paul was set to star in the new season of “The Bachelorette.”
Disney halted production on the hit ABC series three days before its Sunday premiere after TMZ posted a disturbing 2023 video Thursday showing Paul throwing a chair at his ex-girlfriend Dakota Mortensen during a domestic violence incident.
“In light of the new video that was just released today, we have made the decision not to move forward with a new season of The Bachelorette at this time. We are focused on supporting our family,” a Disney spokesperson told Page Six.
One network official said a last-minute cancellation would definitely “cost us millions of dollars.”
“They had to know. Didn’t they do a background check on her? This is a disaster. It’s going to cost millions of dollars! Including production costs, it’s going to cost between $10 million and $15 million, maybe more,” they said.
That was before negotiating prizes for customers such as hotels that were scheduled to be featured on the show.
The official added that costs would be higher because some kind of “giveback” would have to be arranged for advertisers. This means that ads that were supposed to run on Bachlorette will have to be aired on other shows, and they won’t be able to sell ads to new advertisers.
The highly rated “Bachelorette” will be replaced by a rerun of “American Idol” on Sunday, another source told Page Six.
Meanwhile, “it’s going to be a big headache” for ABC and Disney veteran Debra O’Connell, who was named chairman of Disney Entertainment Television this week. “This is a nightmare for her. She has to clean up the mess,” the source said.
A Disney official explained, “Debra and her leadership came to a consensus on the decision after seeing the video for the first time.”
They added, “Everyone knew about the domestic dispute and had seen the body camera footage featured in Mormon Wives, but today the world saw for the first time what happened.”
An industry source said that after the video was released, “we had no choice but to cancel[the show].” They said, “This is a show for women. What kind of woman, what kind of mother, would watch a woman with her child throwing chairs up close?”
A Disney representative had no comment.
A spokesperson for the reality TV star told Page Six: “Taylor is extremely grateful for ABC’s support as her family’s safety and security is her top priority. After years of enduring extensive emotional and physical abuse and threats of retribution in silence, Taylor has finally found the strength to confront her accusers and is taking steps to ensure she and her children are protected from further harm.”
“Too many women suffer in silence while surviving ex-partners who are aggressive, jealous, and refuse to move on with their lives,” the magazine continues. “Taylor remains silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming. She is now exploring all options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
