ABC, in crisis mode after yanking “The Bachelorette” Season 22 premiere from its schedule amid domestic violence investigations involving star Taylor Frankie Paul, moved quickly to delete as much promotional material for the show as it could from its own website.
Within hours of ABC’s announcement, the network had removed the Season 22 trailer (captioned “Dare we say… the most dramatic season of ‘The Bachelorette’ yet?”); Paul’s bio and the rest of cast list; and an article plugging “The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose” special preview episode that aired on ABC after the Oscars on March 15. (For now, that episode is still available on abc.com and Hulu; it’s set to expire on Monday, March 23, according to the info on Hulu.)
However, as of this writing, the show’s trailer and dozens of other video clips and photos remained live on internet platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
On YouTube, the Bachelor Nation on ABC channel has a playlist of 33 videos, including the trailer (with more than 1.1 million views). The Bachelorette account on TikTok also still features videos promoting Season 22.
On Instagram and Facebook, ABC’s official accounts for “The Bachelorette” on Thursday reminded fans that Season 22 was scheduled to premiere on March 22. “Attention, Bachelor Nation: #TheBachelorette is now on Sundays! Don’t miss the season premiere this Sunday on ABC. Stream on Hulu!”
Those posts went live at 11 a.m. Eastern, just under five hours before ABC said it would no longer premiere “The Bachelorette” S22 on Sunday. As of Friday morning, the tune-in posts were still active, along with dozens of photos and video clips for Season 22.
SEE ALSO: ABC Will Lose Tens of Millions of Dollars if Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘The Bachelorette’ Doesn’t Air
“Well this didn’t age well,” one Instagram commenter said on the latest post — while former “Bachelorette” contestant Adam Gottschalk (who also appeared on “Bachelor in Paradise”) remarked, “It’s not too late to delete 😬😬”
Later on Thursday, Instagram had added a “community note” to the above post, which was contributed by a user, citing the statement from a Disney Entertainment Television about the show: “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.” That was a reference to a 2023 video of the incident published by TMZ that showed Paul seemingly attacking her ex, Dakota Mortensen, throwing multiple chairs at him.
The abrupt suspension of “The Bachelorette” flared up just as Disney’s brand-new leadership team — led by CEO Josh D’Amaro and Dana Walden, newly elevated to the role of president and chief creative officer — officially took over on Wednesday. It’s also a headache for Debra OConnell, the longtime Disney exec whom Walden just promoted to newly created role of chairman of Disney Entertainment Television.
Variety reported that ABC stands to lose tens of millions of dollars if Season 22 doesn’t air, as the studio behind the reality TV franchise — Warner Bros. Unscripted TV — gets paid licensing fees regardless of whether the show gets released.
Here is ABC’s official bio for Paul, which the network has since removed from its site:
Taylor Frankie Paul is stepping into the spotlight as leading lady for the 22nd season of “The Bachelorette.” After igniting “MomTok” and going viral for pulling back the curtain on Salt Lake’s soft-swinging scene in Hulu’s Emmy® Award-nominated series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” the 31-year-old Utah native is ready to trade headline-making heartbreak for hometown dates as she begins making her mark on Bachelor Nation.
Paul is the breakout star of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” captivating millions with her raw, unapologetic storytelling. Off-screen, she’s a TikTok powerhouse whose comedic, heartwarming and bitingly honest content has earned her a massive following. As a single mother of three, Paul shares the highs and lows of her life with unfiltered candor. With humor, resilience and a fearless openness, she inspires others to embrace life’s chaos and own their story.
First Appeared on
Source link
Leave feedback about this