All the reality stars who controversially supported Taylor Frankie Paul after Bachelorette cancellation
Her season was axed after a 2023 video was leaked
When Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette season was pulled just days before its planned premiere, the fallout was instant, messy and very public.
ABC said it would not move forward with the season after a resurfaced 2023 video showed Taylor throwing three stools towards her ex, Dakota Mortensen, while her daughter was nearby.
A spokesperson for Disney said: “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 Secret Lives of Mormon Wives didn’t need any more drama, but the show is now under an even harsher spotlight. Filming for season five is now reportedly on pause.
While plenty of reality stars distanced themselves, a few familiar names did the opposite, dropping supportive comments, offering grace or publicly hoping Taylor gets help.
Kelly Chase
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Post Bachelorette cancellation, some words of support have come from Kelly Chase of Love Is Blind season one.
In Taylor’s Instagram comments, Kelly, whose handle is @chaselifewithkelly, wrote that she was “sending you lots of love!!” and insisted “Everything is going to be okay!!” while tagging Taylor directly.
Her full message included four heart emojis and read: “…sending you lots of love!! Everything is going to be okay!! @taylorfrankiepaul!!”
Demi Engemann
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Taylor also got visible support from much closer to home in the reality universe.
In that same Instagram comment thread, fellow Secret Lives of Mormon Wives personality Demi Engemann popped up with a breezy, almost cheeky comment: “True colors next?”
It seems that not everyone in Taylor’s wider circle was publicly condemning her in the immediate aftermath.
That stood in contrast to castmates like Layla Taylor and Miranda McWhorter, who publicly condemned domestic violence and specifically raised concern for the children involved, per PEOPLE.
Ashley Iaconetti
Ashley Iaconetti took a more careful route, but she still landed in the support conversation. Speaking after the cancellation, the Bachelor alum said she hoped Taylor “gets the help and support she needs.”
That is obviously more measured than a hearts-and-hugs Instagram comment, and Ashley also backed ABC’s decision to pull the season.
Speaking to Page Six, she said: “My reactions are all over the place… my opinion on it can take an hour to describe. I hope the best for the franchise, and I hope that Taylor gets the support and help that she needs to get into a good place. I agree with the decision to not go forward with the season at that time. It just didn’t seem like the appropriate thing to do.”
When asked if she was in a group chat with other Bachelor Nation stars, she added: “I am not part of the lead Bachelorette group text, but if you talk to Trista, she says that, in that group, she sent her a message of support and that Taylor responded.”
Ashley also said of Taylor’s season: “I think a lot of people would watch it if they put it on Hulu. If they put it on in a binge form, it would be interesting just to see how fans take to the binge form. It would work in the advertiser’s sense rather than having it on ABC. I just feel like it’s a hard thing, it’s icky…”
Doug Mason
After ABC cancelled season 22 of The Bachelorette, PEOPLE reported that some of Taylor’s own contestants were heartbroken while others still urged people to show support.
Doug Mason, for example, said Taylor’s “moment was blocked” and asked people to stay positive.
He said in a March 20 Instagram video that he was “sending prayers” her way.
Doug added: “All we can do right now is just be hopeful” and added how he was “off to watch the sunrise.”
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