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Taylor Frankie Paul called an 'intermediate problem drinker' in resurfaced 2023 assessment
Details from a March 2023 mental health assessment filed in the case provide additional context around the incident.
ABC has cancelled the upcoming season of the dating show The Bachelorette following domestic violence allegations involving its newly announced star, Taylor Frankie Paul. The decision came after footage surfaced on Thursday showing Paul in a physical altercation with her ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen.
“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 Television spokesperson told NBC News.
The season had been scheduled to premiere on Sunday.
Also Read: Taylor Frankie Paul: All about her 3 kids and their dads amid row over 'stool throwing' video
The video
The clip, reportedly recorded by Mortensen, appears to show Paul pushing and kicking him as he repeatedly asks her to stop. At one point, she is seen throwing barstools in his direction.
The incident is reported to have taken place three years ago. A child believed to be Paul’s daughter can be heard crying in the background of the video.
Arrest
Paul was arrested in connection with the incident in 2023 and faced multiple charges, including assault, criminal mischief, and domestic violence in the presence of a child.
According to court records, she later pleaded guilty in abeyance to an aggravated assault charge in August 2025. The remaining charges were dismissed with prejudice.
Mental health assessment
Details from a March 2023 mental health assessment filed in the case provide additional context around the incident.
In the report, Paul said the altercation followed a night out with friends where she “drank from vodka, however, she does not recall exactly how much.”
Paul told evaluators she remembered little about what happened after returning home.
The assessment states that her children were present in the home at the time. While Paul said she checked on her daughter and did not believe she was injured, a criminal indictment alleges the child was struck and could be heard crying in video footage.
According to NBC News, the assessment recommended that Paul attend a parenting class to “learn to manage stress and anxiety around her children” and that she would benefit from a “Prime for Life Class to get some information/education about alcohol and its side effects and consequences.”
It also noted that Paul was attending therapy regularly and described her as an “intermediate problem drinker,” with “borderline anxiety” and a “mild level of depression.”
Response from Paul's team
After the video of the altercation was released by TMZ on Thursday, a spokesperson for Paul told NBC News that the recording is the “latest installment of [Mortensen’s] never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child.”
“Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior,” the spokesperson added. “Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences.”
Dakota Mortensen reacts
In a statement to PEOPLE, Mortensen said, "As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation. I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same."
