Taylor Frankie Paul‘s infamously unaired edition of The Bachelorette isn’t the only season of a reality TV show that never saw the light of day after offscreen drama.
ABC announced in late 2025 that Paul would have over 20 potential suitors vying for her heart in season 22 of The Bachelorette. Before the season was set to premiere in March 2026, news broke that Paul and on-off boyfriend Dakota Mortensen were involved in an alleged domestic violence dispute one month prior.
The alleged altercation reportedly led to season 5 of Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives being put on pause. In the aftermath, ABC opted not to proceed with season 22 of The Bachelorette as the future of the franchise remained unclear.
“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 Us Weekly at the time.
Paul broke her silence that same month, telling Us, “There’s more to the context to everything, and it’s unfortunate. It’s been hard. And it sucks to be in this position.”
The Bachelorette isn’t the only highly anticipated series that was pulled before episodes could air. Peacock’s The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip faced backlash over season 4, which filmed in Morocco and featured Vicki Gunvalson, Gretchen Rossi, Brandi Glanville, Camille Grammer Meyer, Phaedra Parks, Eva Marcille, Alex McCord and Caroline Manzo.
Production on the season wrapped in January 2023. That same month, several outlets reported that Glanville and Manzo left the trip early after a reported incident where Glanville allegedly kissed Manzo multiple times without her consent. Glanville took to social media to slam claims that her behavior was inappropriate, alleging that both she and Manzo “were very intoxicated.”
Manzo, for her part, described the alleged interaction as “very traumatic” during a 2023 appearance on Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge’s “Two T’s in a Pod” podcast. She added that she would “never” do another season of Ultimate Girls Trip or The Real Housewives of New Jersey before taking legal action.
“It was something that I was done with and happy to be done with it. I walked away for a reason,” she said. “I always said for me to go back, it would have to be a number that was financially irresponsible to walk away from.”
Keep scrolling for other reality shows that were pulled before a single episode aired:
‘Welcome to the Neighborhood’
In 2005, ABC canceled Welcome to the Neighborhood less than two weeks before its 2005 premiere. The show, which faced backlash over its controversial premise, followed three conservative Texas suburban families who judged seven diverse, nontraditional families competing for a dream home.
ABC released a statement about the cancellation, saying, “Given the sensitivity of the subject matter in early episodes we have decided not to air the series at this time.”
‘I Love Money’ and ‘Megan Wants a Millionaire’
VH1 pulled both season 3 of I Love Money and Megan Wants a Millionaire in 2009 after Ryan Jenkins — who appeared on the shows — was a suspect in the murder of his wife, Jasmine Fiore.
Fiore was found dead in a suitcase and Jenkins was later charged with her murder. Jenkins ultimately fled to Canada, where he was found dead by suicide.
“Given the unfortunate circumstances, VH1 has postponed any future airings. This is a tragic situation and our thoughts go out to the victim’s family,” a statement from VH1 read.
‘Ev and Ocho’
VH1 also canceled Ev and Ocho in 2012 following Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson’s domestic violence incident involving his then-wife, Evelyn Lozada.
“Due to the unfortunate events over the weekend and the seriousness of the allegations, VH1 is pulling the series Ev and Ocho from its schedule and has no current plans of airing it,” the network said in a statement at the time.
Johnson was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence, and Lozada filed for divorce.
“I would like to apologize to everyone for the recent events that have occurred. I would like to wish Evelyn well and will never say anything bad about her because I truly love her to death,” Johnson said before he was sentenced to 30 days in jail. “It is my sincere hope that he seeks the help he needs to overcome his troubles. Domestic violence is not OK, and hopefully my taking a stand will help encourage other women to break their silence as well.”
‘Good Grief’
Lifetime pulled the plug on Good Grief in 2014 before its premiere. The series centered on the Johnson Family Mortuary in Fort Worth, Texas. The mortuary’s owners were arrested after multiple decomposing bodies were discovered inside the facility, with Dondre Johnson and Rachel Hardy-Johnson being charged on seven counts of abuse of a corpse.
“The program featuring the Johnson Family Mortuary has not and will not air on Lifetime,” Lifetime’s former vice president of corporate communications and publicity said at the time. “The allegations are deeply troubling, and our thoughts and prayers go to the families affected by this situation.”
Dondre pleaded guilty to nine counts of abuse of a corpse and was sentenced to two years in prison relating to charges of felony theft. Hardy-Johnson, meanwhile, was sentenced to nearly two years in prison on an unrelated food stamps charge. It is unclear what happened in her abuse of corpse case.
‘Flip It Forward’
HGTV canceled Flip It Forward in 2014 in response to hosts David and Jason Benham’s resurfaced comments about LGBTQIA+ issues and abortion.
“HGTV is not moving forward with the Benham Brothers’ series at this time,” the network announced.
‘The Great American Baking Show’
ABC pulled season 3 of The Great American Baking Show off the air in 2017 following sexual harassment allegations against judge Johnny Iuzzini. He denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior, but ABC opted not to air the episodes featuring Iuzzini.
“In light of allegations that recently came to our attention, ABC has ended its relationship with Johnny Iuzzini and will not be airing the remainder of The Great American Baking Show episodes,” a spokesperson for ABC said in a statement at the time. “ABC takes matters such as those described in the allegations very seriously and has come to the conclusion that they violate our standards of conduct.”
‘The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip’
Bravo has yet to release season 4 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip following an alleged incident involving Caroline Manzo and Brandi Glanville. After filming wrapped, Glanville denied the allegations.
“The safety and security of cast and crew while shooting is extremely important and we take all reports seriously,” Peacock said in a statement. “In this situation, production immediately launched a comprehensive review and is taking appropriate action.”
‘The Bachelorette’
Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was days from airing before news broke of an alleged domestic violence dispute between the reality star and on-and-off boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.
Season 22 of The Bachelorette was ultimately canceled when footage from a 2023 incident between Paul and Mortensen surfaced. In the video, Paul was seen throwing chairs at Mortensen while her daughter cried in the background. (This is the same incident that was explored in season 1 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.)
Read the full article here
