Taylor Frankie Paul's scandal fallout has raised fears it destroyed 'The Bachelorette' franchise's future.

April 15 2026, Published 6:45 a.m. ET

Scandal-scarred bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul has sparked a costly chain reaction behind the scenes at ABC and Warner Bros. Discovery, with insiders claiming the disastrous fallout from her scrapped season will leave the media giants on the hook for millions, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

The already-in-the-can show was yanked just three days before its March 22 premiere after shocking video of Paul allegedly attacking her ex-boyfriend emerged – leaving a massive hole in the network's spring schedule.

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ABC and Warner Bros. Discovery face millions in losses after Taylor Frankie Paul's scrapped 'The Bachelorette' season.

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While Warner – which produced the series – reportedly still has to pay the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star an estimated six-figure salary, sources say ABC is set to lose up to $50million on the binned reality show.

The staggering losses are expected to soar even higher once advertisers are compensated.

Insiders added the damage is still mushrooming. At least five of the 22 men who competed for Paul's heart are considering suing Warner and ABC because they won't be paid – and many of them quit their jobs to join the show.

And with season 22 on the shelf, season 13 Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay is already predicting the entire Bachelor franchise may be "over."

"The name Bachelorette ... is tainted," the 40-year-old said.

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Dakota Mortensen was involved in a domestic violence case that led to Paul's axed 'The Bachelorette' season.

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Paul, 31, had already begun promoting the reality mainstay when news surfaced of an open "domestic violence investigation" stemming from a February 2026 incident involving her former beau, Dakota Mortensen.

Days later, on their son Ever's second birthday, startling footage emerged of a prior altercation between the toxic twosome in 2023.

While ABC and Warner were aware of the fight, the TikTok star pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and police bodycam footage became public, showing her aggressively charging at Mortensen, 33, placing him in a headlock and throw metal stools at the father of her child.

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Footage showed Indy, Paul's daughter, crying during a 2023 altercation involving Mortensen.

The clip included audio of Frankie's then-5-year-old daughter, Indy, whom she shares with ex-husband Tate Paul, crying after one of the chairs seemingly hit her.

Though Mortensen tried to take the fall for his girlfriend back then, he's since gone to police with additional accusations from 2024 and filed for a temporary restraining order on March 19. He was granted a restraining order – giving him temporary custody of their little boy.

Now, toxic Taylor insists she's the one who's silently suffered "extensive" abuse.