‘Bachelorette’ star Taylor Frankie Paul says she suffered ‘extensive mental and physical abuse’
People-Taylor-Frankie-Paul-Bachelorette FILE - Taylor Frankie Paul arrives at the 58th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File) (Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
By WSBTV.com News Staff
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — “The Bachelorette” star Taylor Frankie Paul is speaking out after ABC executives announced plans to cancel her season of the hit dating show just days before its premiere.
A spokesperson for Paul, 31, shared a statement with PEOPLE saying that she has been “silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse.”
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security. 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.”
— Spokesperson for Taylor Frankie Paul
ABC announced on Thursday that it will not move forward with Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette,” which was set to premiere this Sunday on Channel 2.
“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,” the network said in a statement.
On Thursday, TMZ released video that showed a 2023 incident between Paul and Dakota Mortensen, the father of her youngest son, in which she threw a chair at him, which also hit her oldest child. Following that incident, she was arrested and later released.