Reality TV
Bachelor Nation’s Nick Viall Once Took Credit for Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘The Bachelorette’ Casting
Bachelor Nation fans apparently have Nick Viall to thank for no new episodes of The Bachelorette come Sunday.
After shocking newly released video showed this season’s Bachelorette, Taylor Frankie Paul, brutally attacking ex Dakota Mortensen and appearing to strike her then-5-year-old daughter, Indy — whom she shares with ex-husband Tate Paul — in the process, ABC halted production.
On a previous episode of The Viall Files, Viall (who appeared on both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette) claimed he was responsible for the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star’s casting in the first place.
“Well, it’s happened,” Viall said on the episode, which aired after Paul was announced as the lead in September. “Taylor Frankie Paul is your next Bachelorette. You are welcome, Bachelor Nation. You are welcome, ABC.”
Though some people said Viall must have had a good source to predict that the #MomTok influencer would be the next Bachelorette, he claimed, “It was literally my idea three months ago.”
“I gave them the idea,” he insisted. “I am the source.”
“Maybe I know a little bit about this world,” he said of why Paul appeared to be the perfect choice to look for love this upcoming season.
“It’s going to be fantastic,” he added. “I’m glad the people who make these decisions finally made a good one. Hopefully, don’t f**k it up.”
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned after ABC announced this week its decision not to air The Bachelorette given Paul’s tumultuous history.
Paul was arrested in February 2023 and charged with one felony count of aggravated assault and two felony counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, along with one misdemeanor count each of child abuse and criminal mischief.
She later accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault. Her four other charges were dropped with prejudice, and the felony would drop to a misdemeanor as long as she adhered to the terms of the deal, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
In a statement to People, a rep for Paul said in part that she is “currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
