Fans won’t be watching Taylor Frankie Paul’s canceled season of “The Bachelorette,” but the “Mormon Wives” star still stands to earn her full salary for the postponed season.
Sources say the 31-year-old reality star negotiated a contract on a fee-for-service basis, meaning that once Paul finished filming the season, he fulfilled his contractual obligations and the show’s producer, Warner Bros. Discovery, would have to pay.
The exact amount is unknown at this time. However, the outlet reports that it will likely be in the low-to-mid six-figure range.
Representatives for Paul, Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
The news comes on the heels of a source exclusively telling Page Six that the delayed season could cost Disney a staggering price tag and create major problems for new chairman Debra O’Connell.
“It could be $50 million (or more). Someone should be fired for this. It’s ridiculous,” the insider said.
Industry insiders added that the cost could be even higher given the “quid pro quo” the network would have to arrange for advertisers who were originally scheduled to run campaigns on “The Bachelorette.”
You can’t sell ads to new advertisers because your ads must also appear on other shows.
The debacle quickly became a “nightmare” for O’Connell, who was named chairman of Disney Entertainment Television this week.
“She has to clean up the mess,” the source said.
Paul was scheduled to star in Season 22 of The Bachelorette, which was scheduled to premiere last Sunday.
However, ABC opted to put the season on hiatus days before its airing date after TMZ released a disturbing video showing Paul and ex Dakota Mortensen (who shares their 2-year-old son, Ever) in a domestic disturbance.
A 2023 video showed Paul throwing a chair at his ex-girlfriend and putting her in a headlock. At one point, daughter Indy, now 8, was allegedly hit in the head with a chair thrown by Paul and could be heard crying.
At the time, Paul responded to the news of the cancellation by saying he was “grateful” for the department’s support and that he was prioritizing “the safety and security of my family.”
A spokesperson for Paul said: “After years of silently enduring extensive emotional and physical abuse and threats of retribution, 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.”
