Taylor Frankie Paul may be asked to pay back her season 22 of The Bachelorette after ABC canceled the show after new videos of alleged domestic violence surfaced.
Attorney Ashley DiFantrum of the law firm Kinsella Hawley Iser Kumpf Steinsapir spoke exclusively to Page Six about the legal ramifications the “Mormon Wife Secret” star could face amid the scandal.
“When working with the public on any project, companies almost always include a morals clause in the contract,” Diphantorum said.
These types of clauses are typically “very broad” and stipulate that individuals cannot “adversely influence the company,” the lawyer explained.
“I think Taylor Frankie Paul’s contract related to ‘The Bachelorette’ will have this type of clause, and that clause also covers this situation,” Diphantorum said.
A reality TV star’s contract likely also states that if she violates the ethics clause, she will not be paid her promised salary or a portion of her appearance fees.
“If she has already been paid, she may be required to repay that payment,” Legal Wasi said. “Her contract may also include liquidated damages or a requirement that she indemnify the company.”
However, DiFantrum believes it is unlikely that Paul will have to pay back all the money the company lost due to the canceled season. That being said, it’s possible that ABC could sue her for breach of contract, but it’s more likely that they’ll go after the production company.
“Typically, the network contracts with the production company, and the production company then contracts with the contestants, producers, staff, vendors, etc.,” DeFantre said, explaining that there was probably a clause requiring the production company to vet the contestants and stars.
“If ABC feels that the production company did not properly vet Taylor Frankie Paul, it may seek refunds or compensation from the production company,” the lawsuit source said.
DiFantrum noted that the producers were likely aware of Paul’s assault allegations in 2023, as they were featured prominently in the plot line of “Mormon Wives.”
“If the production company has already reported this issue to ABC and ABC chooses to go ahead with the season anyway, ABC will likely have a hard time getting money from the production company,” Diphantorum said.
That being said, major networks like ABC usually have insurance that covers this type of situation.
“For example, a canceled season may be covered by insurance,” Diphantorum said. “However, it is still unclear whether this particular situation will be covered until we review the policy language.”
“I think the key question will be what ABC knew about Taylor Frankie Paul’s history before the season began filming, even if that included canceling the event,” she said.
A person with direct knowledge of the situation told Page Six on Friday that ABC has no plans to take legal action against Paul. The source also said the idea that he would have to pay back any fees he received for filming was “completely false and ridiculous.”
As for the 22 men who competed to win Paul’s heart on the dating show, DiFantrum believes it will be an “uphill battle” for the cast to sue the production company or ABC.
“I haven’t seen the contract here, but typically the contract is with the production company and includes some kind of language that says the production company and ABC can decide how the footage is used, up to and including not releasing the footage at all.”
Contestants typically get paid for the content that is filmed, not just what they air, so they are likely to continue to keep the money they were paid for appearing on canceled seasons.
“But without the broadcast, they clearly missed out on other economic benefits they might otherwise have received,” the lawyer acknowledged.
Daniel J. Ein, a partner at Reavis Page Jump LLP, agrees that contestants will not be able to “make a successful case.”
“It’s likely that any of the performer’s contracts will state that ABC has no obligation to use the performer’s appearance in the program or to broadcast the program,” Ain said. “Contestants will also explicitly publish what they may claim.”
ABC has confirmed that Paul’s season of The Bachelorette will be canceled in 2023 after a video surfaced of him violently attacking ex-girlfriend Dakota Mortensen.
“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 families,” the network told Page Six in a statement.
Shortly after, Paul’s representatives released an emotional statement about the show’s cancellation.
“Taylor is extremely grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes the safety and security of her family,” a spokesperson said Thursday.
“After enduring years of 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.”
Page Six has reached out to ABC owner Disney for comment.
