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ABC replaces cancelled Taylor Frankie Paul's 'The Bachelorette' season with 'American Idol' rerun
Paul's two-hour premiere was originally slated for March 22
Following the cancellation of the planned premiere of Taylor Frankie Paul's The Bachelorette just days prior to its scheduled broadcast, ABC has opted for an alternative programming strategy.
Paul's two-hour premiere was originally slated for Sunday (March 22), at 8pm ET, but the show was called off on Thursday (March 19).
PEOPLE has learned that a rerun of the popular singing show American Idol will now fill that slot.
The new dating program Love Overboard was supposed to premiere immediately following the kickoff of The Bachelorette season 22, set for the 10pm ET time.
This announcement came shortly after TMZ shared a video from 2023 showing The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 31, tossing chairs at her former partner Dakota Mortensen while a child was nearby.
Paul is the mother of daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5½, with former husband Tate Paul. She also has a son, Ever, 2, with Mortensen.
A representative for Paul stated to PEOPLE on March 19, “It’s troubling to witness yet another episode in his ongoing, relentless bid for attention, aimed solely at damaging Taylor with no thought for the impact on their child. The release of an old video, carefully stripped of context, on their son's birthday is a disgraceful effort to distract from his own actions. Fortunately, the public has seen through this before and is aware of who he is. Many will recognize this familiar pattern of manipulation, both on the show and from their own experiences."
In 2023, Paul was taken into custody for alleged domestic violence following a dispute with Mortensen and was charged with misdemeanor offenses including assault, criminal mischief, and committing domestic violence in front of a child.
CBS News reported at that time that she also faced child abuse charges after being accused of hurling a chair at Mortensen, which allegedly struck her daughter.
On Monday (March 16), a Draper City Police Department spokesperson confirmed there is an active "domestic assault investigation" involving Taylor and Mortensen, 33.
The spokesperson acknowledged "accusations have been made from both parties" and "contact was made with those involved on February 24 and 25." The spokesperson refused to provide additional details due to the ongoing case.
Mortensen's representative later informed Entertainment Weekly that his "primary concern is safeguarding Ever," their child, and expressed that "he was simply hoping that if he kept quiet, as is his usual approach, it would resolve itself.
