“Shame on the Bachelor Franchise and Executives”: Emmanuel Acho Is Disgusted Over Taylor Frankie Paul’s Domestic Violence Video

Just days before its scheduled premiere, ABC has pulled the plug on The Bachelorette after footage surfaced showing the show’s star, Taylor Frankie Paul, in a violent altercation with her ex, Dakota Mortensen. The video, originally from 2023, shows Paul throwing metal chairs at Mortensen during an argument. And their child was involved, too.

At one point, Mortensen can be heard warning Paul that their child is nearby, who reportedly suffered a visible injury. The video triggered severe backlash, prompting a response from the network.

ABC issued a statement saying the network would not move forward with the season. But the decision has raised more questions than answers for a few, including Emmanuel Acho.

Speaking on his show, The Speakeasy, Acho made his stance clear without sugarcoating. “I’m disgusted. Shame on the Bachelor franchise and shame on the executives,” the former NFL linebacker said.

Acho’s issue, alongside the problematic nature of the video, also stemmed from how the situation was handled behind the scenes. The analyst pointed out that the footage wasn’t even new, making the decision to platform Taylor Frankie Paul even more troubling.

“You can grant somebody grace and forgiveness without granting them a platform,” added Acho. “We’re all in need of it… But you don’t have to grant somebody a platform.”

Acho compared the chain of events to the infamous Ray Rice domestic violence incident, where disciplinary action escalated only after video evidence became public. “You knew this video existed… Same exact situation… but when the whole world saw it, then the consequences changed,” he said.

So, in Acho’s view, the network made a calculated decision driven more by viewership than responsibility. “We are such gluttons for ratings that we overlooked the existence of this video… And you tried to platform her anyway,” he continued.

“I’m not going to call the Bachelor franchise courageous for canceling this season. You did what you had to do… You just got called out by the public,” Acho added bluntly.

The NFL analyst then addressed a broader issue that often gets overlooked in conversations around domestic violence. He pointed out that the narrative is usually one-sided, but the video in this case showed something different.

“There’s such a stigma around domestic violence only being one way… But you saw clear as day on camera; her aggression, her seeing red, her complete lack for her surroundings, including the young life that was in the room.”

Meanwhile, Taylor Frankie Paul’s team has pushed back, calling the release of the video an “attention-seeking, destructive campaign” and claiming it lacks context. They also stated that Paul had been dealing with abuse and is now focused on safety and healing.

Mortensen’s side, meanwhile, has maintained that his priority remains their child, adding that the situation had become too serious to stay silent.

Acho has clearly picked his side. And the damage, in his eyes, was done long before the video reached everyone else.