This series has died down.
Fan-favorite “Bachelorette” star Rachel Lindsay believes the series has been “tainted” in the wake of Taylor Frankie Paul’s domestic violence scandal.
“I’m very logical,” the 40-year-old explained when asked on Thursday’s episode of E!’s digital series “Hot Goth” for her thoughts on the series, which she previously said was “destroyed” by the scandal.
“I keep thinking, how can we get around this? And I’m sure they’ll understand. They’re a business. Whether it’s the new ‘Bachelorette,’ or whatever, I know she hasn’t talked about it yet, but maybe she’ll make some kind of statement.”
Lindsay, who was The Bachelorette in 2017, explained that it was “different” to see the 2023 affair in the leaked video, even though Paul had revealed the details beforehand.
“It’s a tough situation,” she admitted, before speculating that “someone[at ABC]is going to have to pick up the slack.”
“And you’re going to find out what they knew. I’m sure some of you didn’t know everything. Like me, I didn’t know at first that she was a felon. It’s wild to think about,” she added, referring to the 2023 felony aggravated assault charge to which Paul pled guilty. The charges were dropped, but she remains on probation until August 2026.
On March 19, just days before the new season of The Bachelorette aired, ABC decided to cancel the show after a video of Paul throwing a chair at ex Dakota Mortensen surfaced.
At the time, the network told Page Six in a statement: “In light of the 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 and are focused on supporting our family.”
Despite the network canceling the episode, the reality TV star still “doesn’t see a path forward for the series.”
“Listen,” Lindsay said. “There are a lot of people begging for this film to still be released, but I think some people are upset. Maybe they don’t know the history. So I think some people are upset.”
As the podcaster said, “When you think of this name now, you think of this.”
Lindsay also pointed to the fact that ABC has not officially confirmed that season 22 will not air, explaining, “They’re not saying, ‘Okay, the season is over. We’re not going to air it.'” So I think they’re kind of leaving the door open and probably seeing what happens in the court of public opinion. What will happen to her sponsor? ”
Regarding reports that the show’s cast members will take legal action after ABC canceled the show, she admitted that she understands why they would want to do that.
“I understand the sentiment behind it because it’s not fair. Some of this cast had fathers who left behind their families,” she said. “Some people have quit their jobs, some have taken pay cuts, so I understand the feeling of, ‘What are we going to do?'”
Lindsay, a reality TV veteran and lawyer, said she believes the men “should still be under non-disclosure agreements and not talk about the season or filming or what happened.”
However, she mused, “I should be freed up so I can sign with brands, make appearances, and do other shows.”
As for the future of the show, Lindsay mused, “Who would want to be ‘The Bachelorette Afterward’? Who would want to be at that point? I’m not going back. I don’t know who would want to step in after this. Again, I think this is a little bit tainted. It might be a while, but would I watch it? No.”
The 2023 video surfaced after it was reported that filming on Hulu’s “The Secret of Mrs. Mormon” Season 5 was halted amid a separate domestic violence investigation involving Paul and Mortensen from earlier this year.
Earlier this week, Mortensen filed for a restraining order against Paul, claiming he strangled her in front of her son last month. He was granted temporary custody of his 2-year-old son Ever on Friday.
It has since been revealed that Paul is being investigated for a third incident that took place in 2024.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
