‘The Bachelorette’ Contestants Witnessed Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Temper’ ‘Firsthand’ While Filming

ABC pulled Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette just days before its premiere — and now a new report claims her castmates had already warned the network about her volatile behavior.

“This wasn’t something they discovered later,” a source told Rob Shuter’s Naughty But Nice Substack on Friday, March 20. “It was happening while they were filming.”

Shuter also reported that multiple sources claimed that Paul’s temper became an issue while filming.

“There were complaints during filming,” one insider explained. “People spoke up — but nothing changed. They didn’t stop production. They moved forward.”

To make matters worse, some of the men from Paul’s season “knew she had a temper while they were there” because “they saw it firsthand.”

According to E! News, a contestant told the outlet on Thursday, March 19, that the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 31, “exploded on a couple of” the men, noting: “I just thought she was leaning into the drama.”

Bachelorette producers allegedly tried to “frame it as ‘spicy’ and ‘fun,’” but that wasn’t the case. Per Shuter’s report, Paul was even warned about her conduct.

“She pulled it together when she had to,” a source said. “At least while cameras were on. Everyone knew there was a risk. They just kept going anyway.”

With ABC waiting to pull the plug on Paul’s season until the last minute, it potentially puts the network in a bad light.

“This didn’t come out of nowhere after filming,” an insider told Naughty But Nice. “It was happening during filming — and they ignored it.”

Earlier this week, news broke that Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, were being investigated for “domestic assault,” according to a report from People. At that point, ABC had made no moves to cancel The Bachelorette.

However, on Thursday, March 19, TMZ shared footage of a brutal altercation between Paul and Mortensen that occurred in 2023. While that particular incident was heavily documented during season 1 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, the public had only seen the footage of Paul’s arrest.

The resurfaced footage painted a much darker picture. In the clip, the mom of three repeatedly attacked Mortensen in front of her daughter Indy, who she shares with ex-husband Tate. (Paul also shares son Ocean with Tate, and son Ever with Mortensen.)

She then proceeded to launch multiple metal stools at Mortensen and one of them accidentally hit her daughter. The disturbing footage featured the little girl crying out in pain and screaming for her mom.

Shortly after the footage was released, ABC released a statement saying they had decided to not air Paul’s season.

A representative for Paul then released a statement of her own.

“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,” a rep for Paul told People.

“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,” the statement continued. “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.”