Former Bachelor Grant Ellis is weighing in on ABC’s shocking decision to cancel the new season of The Bachelorette three days before it was set to premiere.
On Thursday, March 19, ABC announced that the upcoming 22nd season of the dating show, starring The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Taylor Frankie Paul, would not go ahead amid allegations of domestic violence against the lead star.
“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Ellis told TMZ on Thursday. “I think ABC needed to take a stance and they did that.”
“I think if they would have aired this season, it would have left room for interpretation, and you know, they did the right thing,” he continued.
Ellis, 32, was the star of The Bachelor season 29, which aired in 2025, and was previously a contestant on The Bachelorette season 21.
“They made the right choice. Although it’s going to take some time to recoup, it’s the right thing to do morally,” the former professional basketball player reiterated.
Ellis said he was most “worried” about the fans who had been anticipating the new season of The Bachelorette, which was due to premiere Sunday, March 22.
Ellis was also asked whether ABC should have cast Taylor, 31, as its new Bachelorette given her past legal troubles. In 2023, reality star pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in connection with a domestic dispute with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.
“I think they were looking to do something new, and you can’t really account for everything,” Ellis said. “I think there were some errors made there, but it’s part of life. You live and you grow.”
ABC announced on Thursday that it was pulling the plug on The Bachelorette season 22 after TMZ published footage of Taylor appearing to get physical with Dakota, 33, in a domestic incident that led to her 2023 arrest.
“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,” a Disney Entertainment spokesperson told Us Weekly in a statement.
Earlier this week, the Draper City Police Department in Utah confirmed to Us that it had opened a “domestic assault investigation” involving the former couple, stemming from a dispute that took place last month. Authorities said “allegations have been made in both directions” from Taylor and Dakota and that “contact was made with involved parties on February 24th and 25th.”
Production on season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives halted after Taylor’s fellow cast members became aware of the police investigation.
