Bethenny Frankel has entered the chat after ABC canceled Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette amid domestic violence allegations.
“[It] doesn’t make any sense because they knew about her domestic violence past, and apparently they cast her as the first non-Bachelor Nation person,” Bethenny, 55, said in an Instagram video posted on Thursday, March 19, referring to ABC’s choice to pull the plug on season 22 of the dating show franchise after Taylor, 31, was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen in late February.
Bethenny claimed that the network purposely hired Taylor because “they wanted the controversy and the redemption.”
The Real Housewives of New York City alum pointed out that it was only after a 2023 video of Taylor throwing chairs at Dakota, 33, became public earlier this week that ABC is “re-trading on that” deal. (The 2023 incident led to Taylor being arrested.)
“I mean, a picture’s worth a thousand words, and audio’s worth a thousand words, but if someone was already involved in domestic violence, why would they cast her?” Bethenny asked.
She then pointed to reality TV and the genre’s continual need to allegedly bring mess to the forefront of every show.
“It’s back to reality television. Reality television thrives on conflict, negativity, substance abuse, physical abuse, bankruptcy, DUIs, incarcerations,” Bethenny claimed.
She continued, “So whenever people say, ‘Whatever happened to the reality reckoning?’ I say, the reckoning still continues. I hear examples of it all the time.”
Taylor Frankie Paul. Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Bethenny hinted that Taylor’s alleged domestic violence scandal was just the tip of the iceberg as to why The Bachelorette was canceled.
“You don’t cancel a whole season if there’s not a pile of s*** underneath it,” Bethenny alleged. “So the reality reckoning is and has been real and continues, because there are a lot of things going on legally that you haven’t heard of.”
She added, “Cases don’t wave a magic wand and get resolved the next day. There’s a lot underneath.”
Bethenny predicted that The Bachelorette crew members will be the key to discovering what really transpired behind the scenes.
Taylor Frankie Paul dropped several teases about her journey on The Bachelorette ahead of ABC deciding to cancel the season. News broke in March that Taylor and on-again, off-again ex Dakota Mortensen were involved in a domestic incident, which led to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives halting production on season 5. A spokesperson for […]
“The crew, they’re the ones rising, cause they’ve witnessed it all, made to be quiet about it all,” she said. “And they watch what happens with the crews. Mark my words. You’re welcome.”
Us Weekly has reached out to ABC for comment.
Bethenny’s comments come after news broke on Monday, March 16, that Taylor and Dakota were allegedly involved in a domestic dispute that reportedly halted season 5 production of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department in Utah confirmed to Us at the time that there is an open “domestic assault investigation” involving the former couple, who share son Ever, 2. According to authorities, “allegations have been made in both directions” and “contact was made with involved parties on [February] 24th and 25th.”
Amid the scandal, Taylor continued to promote season 22 of The Bachelorette, which was originally scheduled to air on Sunday, March 22.
Days later, TMZ published the 2023 video of Taylor and Dakota fighting while one of her children was heard crying in the background. (Taylor is also the mother of daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, whom she shares with ex-husband Tate Paul.)
After the video went viral, a source confirmed to Us on Thursday that Dakota filed a protective order against Taylor in Utah. That same day, ABC canceled Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette.
Taylor Frankie Paul has broken her silence following the cancellation of The Bachelorette season 22. “Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” a rep for Taylor, 31, said in a statement to Us Weekly on Thursday, March 19. “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical […]
“ABC is livid over the situation,” a source exclusively told Us. “Taylor had a breach of contract, and they are internally investigating.”
Taylor, for her part, issued a statement on Thursday thanking ABC for their “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,” a rep for Taylor told Us in a statement.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.