The Biggest Scandals in &x27;Bachelor&x27; History Grace GalanteMon, March 23, 2026 at 11:14 PM UTC 0 (Photo by John Fleenor on Getty Images) Taylor Frankie Paul's season of The Bachelorette was abruptly canceled just three days before its scheduled premiere—and now, fans are looking back at some of the most jawdropping events in the franchise's history. Since The Bachelor first premiered in 2002, the franchise has delivered no shortage of controversy, drama, and unforgettable moments. Here's a look at the biggest scandals to rock Bachelor Nation over the years.
The Biggest Scandals in 'Bachelor' History
Grace GalanteMon, March 23, 2026 at 11:14 PM UTC
0
(Photo by John Fleenor on Getty Images)
Taylor Frankie Paul's season of The Bachelorette was abruptly canceled just three days before its scheduled premiere—and now, fans are looking back at some of the most jaw-dropping events in the franchise's history.
Since The Bachelor first premiered in 2002, the franchise has delivered no shortage of controversy, drama, and unforgettable moments.
Here's a look at the biggest scandals to rock Bachelor Nation over the years.
Taylor Frankie Paul's season gets canceled
Paul's season was scheduled to premiere on Sunday, Mar. 22. On Thursday, Mar. 19, ABC pulled the plug on her season after TMZ released a never-before-seen video that appears to show Paul assaulting her ex-boyfriendDakota Mortensen in 2023.
In a statement to TMZ, a Disney Entertainment spokesperson said, "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 spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department in Utah also confirmed that there is an open "domestic assault investigation" regarding Paul and Mortensen related to incidents that allegedly occurred in February 2026.
The spokesperson confirmed "allegations have been made in both directions" and that "contact was made with involved parties on [Feb] 24th and 25th," but declined to share any further details.
Devin Strader's past legal issues
In 2024, Devin Strader won Jenn Tran's season of The Bachelorette, and the two were briefly engaged before breaking it off prior to the season's After the Final Rose reunion episode.
However, the real controversy erupted after the season had finished airing. In September of that year, it was revealed that Strader had been arrested in 2017 after allegedly breaking into this ex-girlfriend's home when she was out of town to steal a diamond necklace he had gifted her, according to an affidavit obtained by Reality Steve.
Strader ultimately pleaded guilty to charges of criminal trespass and simple criminal damage to property of less than $500, receiving one year of unsupervised probation. The ex-girlfriend was also granted a restraining order against him, which Strader allegedly violated.
After Strader's legal troubles came to light, fans immediately questioned the show's vetting process, with many wondering how someone with his history was cast in the first place.
At the time, a source close to production told Variety, "We take the safety of our contestants very seriously and make every effort to conduct thorough diligence. As exhaustive as our vetting process is, this protective order did not surface in our searches."
Chris Harrison's firing
Chris Harrison hosted all Bachelor franchise shows from 2002 until 2021. Harrison left the show following a controversy where he defended season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell when photos surfaced of her attending a racist antebellum themed party.
In an interview with former BacheloretteRachel Lindsay for Extra, Harrison said, "Would this girl, at, I don't know how old she would have been back then, have thought, 'You know, historically, this mansion stood for this?'" he said. "'Guys it's not really that wokethat we're here.'"
Harrison also used the term "woke police" during the interview and asked people to have "a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion" for Kirkconnell.
Kirkconnell, for her part, issued an apology on Instagram and during her season's After the Final Rose. After briefly breaking up with BachelorMatt James amid the scandal, they reconciled—dating for several years before breaking up again in January 2025.
RELATED: Chris Harrison to Host Controversial New Dating Series 5 Years After 'Bachelor' Exit
Cassie Randolph's restraining order against Colton Underwood
Cassie Randolph and Colton Underwood first met while filming Underwood's Bachelor season in 2018, ultimately announcing their breakup in May 2020. In September of that year, Randolph filed a restraining order against Underwood, alleging he put a tracking device on her vehicle, loitered outside her family's home, and sent her threatening text messages—including ones where he allegedly pretended to be an anonymous stalker.
Randolph dropped her restraining order in November 2020 after she and Underwood were able to reach a private agreement.
In April 2021, Underwood came out as gay in a televised interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America. During the interview, he offered a public apology to Randolph for "how things ended" between them.
"I would like to say sorry for how things ended. I messed up," he said at the time. "I made a lot of bad choices."
RELATED: Colton Underwood Says He Asked 'The Traitors' Not to Mention His Past
Jed Wyatt's secret girlfriend
Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette may hold the title of "the most dramatic season ever."
Shortly after getting engaged to Jed Wyatt at the end of her season in 2019, reports emerged that he had a girlfriend back home named Haley Stevens.
Stevens told People that Wyatt went on the show to further his music career, and that the two were seriously dating up until the day he left for filming.
Advertisement
"He was always so reassuring," Stevens said at the time. "He told me the show was just an obstacle and we'd be stronger on the other side because of it."
After news of his secret girlfriend went public, Brown ended things with Wyatt, and even tried to get back with her season's runner-up Tyler Cameron for a short time.
Though Wyatt framed his relationship with Stevens as more casual, he apologized to Brown during After the Final Rose, and said, "I am responsible for this. I will own up to it all day."
Both Brown and Wyatt have since married other people. But the most shocking part of all of this? Stevens is now married to Brown's brother, Patrick.
Bachelor in Paradise pauses filming due to sexual misconduct allegations
In June 2017, Bachelor in Paradise temporarily paused production after producers voiced concerns over a sexual encounter between Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson that was caught on camera. Neither Olympios or Jackson reported the incident themselves.
After an investigation, Warner Bros. found the footage "does not support any charge of misconduct by a cast member" and resumed filming without Olympios or Jackson. Both parties retained attorneys to navigate the aftermath of the situation.
"It's unfortunate that my character and family name has been assassinated this past week with false claims and malicious allegations," Jackson said in a statement at the time.
"While I never filed complaints or accusations against anyone associated with Bachelor in Paradise, my team and I felt it was very important to be thorough in getting to the bottom of what had occurred," Olympios added in her statement. "I felt victimized by the fact that others were judging me through conflicting and unsubstantiated reports, while I myself had no recollection of the events that transpired."
Olympios later said that "nobody knew" how intoxicated she was at the time. She publicly apologized to Jackson, saying she believed he "had no bad intentions at all."
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jackson said, "It was 100% consensual. She hopped in my arms, she pulled me into the pool. You've seen that with your own eyes. I think people wanted it to be something different. They wanted the angry Black guy and this little, innocent white girl. But it wasn't. Then it was like, 'Oh, shit. Ok, damn.' For months, the media will drag your name through the mud. And the moment it's no longer a story, that's it. The media can put 'alleged' from a source and put anything you want about a person. It sucks."
Despite the controversy, the pair remained friends after the incident and made several public appearances together.
Chris Soules arrested for fleeing the scene after a fatal accident
In 2017, former BachelorChris Soules was involved in an accident in which Kenneth Mosher, a 66-year-old war veteran, died.
While driving a Chevy pickup, Soules allegedly slammed into a tractor being driven by Mosher. Soules recounts calling 911, identifying himself to dispatchers, and administering CPR before leaving the scene in a different vehicle than the one he drove there in.
He was later arrested at his home for fleeing the scene, and was sentenced to two years probation in 2019 after pleading guilty. Soules also reportedly paid Mosher's family a $2.5 million settlement.
Despite rumors that Soules was intoxicated during the crash, three witnesses testified under oath that they did not detect any alcohol on Soules at the scene, and a blood test administered six hours after the accident registered a 0.0 blood alcohol concentration.
"The trauma of being involved in [the accident] is something I cannot describe," Soules told People in 2019. "I think about it every day."
Rozlyn Papa has an alleged affair with a producer
Season 14 of The Bachelor brought a franchise first when contestant Rozlyn Papa was asked to leave the show by Chris Harrison on-air after allegedly having an affair with a producer.
"This is something we've never had to deal with in the history of the show," Harrison said at the time. "You entered into an inappropriate relationship with one of our staffers. That staffer is no longer working with us. Because of what happened, we feel it's now impossible for you to form a meaningful relationship with [Bachelor] Jake [Pavelka]."
"You think there's no other girls here that felt for other people before they came on the show?" Papa responded.
Harrison then explained that past relationships differed from dating someone while actively participating in the show before instructing her to pack her belongings and leave that same night.
Jason Mesnick and Arie Luyendyk Jr.'s "switcheroos"
On a more lighthearted note, Jason Mesnick and Arie Luyendyk Jr. have cemented the "switcheroo" into Bachelor Nation history.
Mesnick was the first to pull one off in 2009, when he ended his engagement to Melissa Rycroft to pursue runner-up Molly Malaney instead.
Nine years later, Luyendyk pulled the same move—breaking up with Becca Kufrin in hopes of rekindling things with his runner-up Lauren Burnham. He ultimately proposed to Burnham during his season's After the Final Rose.
Despite their rocky starts, both couples are going strong to this day. Mesnick and Malaney married in 2010 and share one daughter, as well as Mesnick's son from a previous relationship. Luyendyk and Burnham married in 2019 and have four young children.
🌹 SIGN UP for our The Bachelor newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Bachelor Nation news, exclusive interviews, episode recaps & more 🌹
This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: March 24, 2026 at 04:45AM on Source: RED MAG
#ShowBiz#Sports#Celebrities#Lifestyle