Biggest ‘Bachelor’ Nation Scandals: From Taylor Frankie Paul’s Domestic Violence Video to Firing Chris Harrison Over Racist Remarks

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From Stagecoach Gate to fence jumps — and now the recent Taylor Frankie Paul “Bachelorette” debacle — Bachelor Nation is no stranger to drama and controversies. But when you put a group of good-looking, love-hungry singles in a mansion and tell them the last one standing wins a proposal, things are bound to go sideways. Sometimes that means a happily ever after. Sometimes it means a restraining order.

“The Bachelor” premiered on ABC in 2002, and over the past 20-plus years the franchise has grown into a reality TV empire, with spinoffs like “The Bachelorette,” “Bachelor in Paradise” and “The Golden Bachelor” that have collectively produced far more headlines than they have engagements (and not all of them are good). While some are classic reality TV tales of heartbreak and love triangles, the franchise has at times taken a much darker turn.

The ABC behemoth finds itself at yet another crossroads following the indefinite pause of “The Bachelorette” Season 22 of, which was pulled from the air before it ever premiered amid a domestic violence scandal involving star Paul. Over the years, Bachelor Nation has navigated racism controversies, sexual misconduct allegations, a hit-and-run, a host forced out after nearly two decades and at least one contestant who threatened to dismember his castmates.

Below are the franchise’s most controversial moments.

Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Bachelorette’ Season Pulled After Domestic Violence Video Surfaces

Image Credit: Disney

Before a single rose was handed out on screen, ABC yanked Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” entirely — a franchise first. The “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star and #MomTok personality was already fielding uncomfortable questions heading into premiere week, with an active domestic assault investigation out of Draper City, Utah, involving her on-again, off-again ex Dakota Mortensen, with whom she shares a toddler son.

The final blow came when TMZ published video from a 2023 incident showing Paul putting Mortensen in a headlock, kicking him and hurling multiple chairs at him, all while her young daughter sat nearby. Paul had previously pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault for the incident, with remaining charges dismissed.

Paul had spent the week doing press in New York, appearing on “Good Morning America” and “Live With Kelly and Mark,” telling reporters the timing was “extremely hard.” Within hours of the video’s release, ABC pulled the plug.

“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,” the statement from a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson read.

The season will no longer air on March 22.
Rachael Kirkconnell’s Plantation Party Photos Ignite Racism Scandal

During the airing of Matt James’ “The Bachelor” Season 25, photos emerged on social media showing contestant Rachael Kirkconnell at an antebellum plantation-themed fraternity party in 2018, dressed in period attire, while a student at Georgia College and State University. Former classmates also accused the graphic designer from Cumming, Ga., of bullying them for dating Black men and liking racially insensitive posts on social media. James was the first Black man to lead “The Bachelor” in the show’s history.

Kirkconnell did not address the allegations for nearly a month. When she did, she acknowledged her actions were wrong. “At one point, I didn’t recognize how offensive and racist my actions were, but that doesn’t excuse them,” she wrote on Instagram. “My ignorance was racist.”

The controversy became even bigger when host Chris Harrison sat down with franchise correspondent and former “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsay — the show’s first Black lead — and asked viewers to offer Kirkconnell “a little grace,” suggesting the photos would not have been considered offensive in 2018. The remarks drew immediate backlash from fans and franchise alums alike. Harrison stepped down shortly after, and by June 2021 had departed the franchise entirely after nearly two decades as its host.

On the “After the Final Rose” special, James revealed he had ended his relationship with Kirkconnell, telling her she had not fully understood “what it means to be a Black man in America.” The two later reconciled and dated for nearly four more years before splitting in early 2025.
Yes, Host Chris Harrison Exits Following Those Controversial Race Remarks

While “The Bachelor” franchise has always had a fraught relationship with race, things came to a boiling point in February 2021 when former host Harrison was ousted from his 19-year tenure as host following a highly criticized interview in which he defended “Bachelor” contestant Kirkconnell in an interview with the first Black “Bachelorette” lead Rachel Lindsay.

Following weeks of conversation and calls for Harrison’s firing, Warner Horizon and ABC Entertainment issued a joint statement confirming his departure: “Chris Harrison is stepping aside as host of ‘The Bachelor’ franchise. We are thankful for his many contributions over the past 20 years and wish him all the best on his new journey.”
Season 15 ‘Bachelorette’ Hannah Brown Says the N-Word

Image Credit: Courtesy of Hannah Brown

In May 2020, Season 15 “Bachelorette” star Hannah Brown joined the group of Bachelor Nation alumni with racism scandals. The Alabama native sparked controversy when she said the N-word while reciting the lyrics to DaBaby’s “Rockstar” on Instagram Live.
Brown originally denied singing along to the word, saying, “Y’all can think I said whatever I did or think I’m something I’m not, but I’m not that.” After the backlash refused to die down, Brown posted a written apology to her Instagram story, in which she wrote, “I owe you all a major apology. There is no excuse, and I will not justify what I said. I am terribly sorry and know that, whether in public or private, this language is unacceptable.”
Bachelor Nation stars spoke out against Brown, most notably Rachel Lindsay — Season 13’s “Bachelorette” and the first and only Black lead in the franchise’s 18-year history at the time. She condemned Brown for only posting a written statement and said she was “personally hurt and offended.”
Brown eventually went live on Instagram again and apologized for both the controversy and her statement, saying she wanted to take time to process and learn from her mistake.
“I am thankful for you guys who will give me the chance, and for those of you who won’t just yet, I understand that, too. You have to grow trust for people, especially when someone has hurt you…I’ll be better,” Brown said.
Colton Underwood’s Restraining Order and Fence Jump

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Colton Underwood’s “The Bachelor” Season 23 will forever be remembered for one thing: the fence jump. After front-runner Cassie Randolph broke up with him during the Fantasy Suites in Portugal, Underwood — a former NFL player who apparently never met a boundary he wouldn’t physically clear — shoved past producers, hurdled an eight-foot fence and vanished into the Portuguese wilderness in the middle of the night, leaving host Chris Harrison to utter the now-legendary line, “Holy shit, he is gone.” He eventually came back, won Randolph over and dated for nearly two years.

Three months after the couple announced their split in 2020, Randolph was granted a restraining order against Underwood. She alleged he had sent unsettling text messages, showed up uninvited at her house and her parents’ home, and planted a tracking device in her car. The restraining order was dropped in November 2020 after the two reached a private agreement.

In April 2021, Underwood came out as gay in an interview on “Good Morning America” and issued a public apology to Randolph. “I wish that I had been courageous enough to fix myself before I broke anybody else,” he said.

The controversy resurfaced in early 2026 when Underwood was cast on Season 4 of Peacock’s “The Traitors.” Co-star Lisa Rinna called him a “stalker” on social media before walking back the comment after Underwood faced significant online backlash.
First ‘Golden Bachelor’ Gerry Turner’s Three Month Marriage and Murder Joke

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Inaugural “Golden Bachelor” lead Gerry Turner married contestant Theresa Nist on live TV in January 2024, but filed for divorce just three months later.
The couple initially cited long-distance as the key factor in their split, with Turner in Indiana, Nist in New Jersey and neither willing to move.
In November 2024, Nist appeared on fellow Bachelor Nation alum Ben Higgins’ podcast and admitted distance wasn’t the entire reason for their divorce. She said, “You really can’t know somebody in four weeks. I’ll just say that.”
After Turner released his memoir, Nist appeared on the “Dear Shandy” podcast to share her side of the story. In the memoir, Turner claims that he had doubts about their relationship prior to their wedding and that a lack of intimacy led to their divorce, which made Nist, who disagreed with his version of events, “extremely upset.”
On the podcast, Nist recalled a specific conversation she had with her ex-husband, which she feels represented his “underlying feeling” of “animosity” toward her.
“I finally went to his house, and we took a walk around this lake called Pretty Lake, and we were coming to the end of it, and he said — this is really bizarre — He said, ‘You see that shed up there?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He said, ‘Well, that’s where I’m going to hide your body after I kill you and chop you up,’” Nist said. “And he wasn’t laughing. I said, ‘Well, if this was his idea of a joke, that was pretty dark humor.’”
‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Boots Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson for Sexual Misconduct Allegations

In June of 2017, “Bachelor in Paradise” temporarily ceased production after show producers voiced concerns over a sexual encounter between Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson that was caught on camera. Warner Bros. investigated and ultimately found no evidence of wrongdoing, resuming production — sans Olympios and Jackson.
Both Jackson and Olympios retained attorneys following the incident. “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.

After Olympios’ team concluded their own private investigation, she released a statement saying, “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. 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.”

In a later interview, 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.”

The two remained friends after the incident and made several public appearances together.
Rozlyn Papa Has Affair With Producer, Gets Asked to Leave

Rozlyn Papa caused quite a stir when she allegedly had an affair with a show producer, Ryan Callahan, while appearing as a contestant on Season 14 of “The Bachelor.”
Vying for the affections of leading man Jake Pavelka in 2009, Papa was asked to leave the show by “Bachelor” host Chris Harrison – on air.
“This is something we’ve never had to deal with in the history of the show,” said Harrison. “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 Jake.”
“You think there’s no other girls here that felt for other people before they came on the show?” responded Papa.
Harrison told her he wasn’t judging her, but there was a difference between having a past and having a relationship with someone while on the show, before telling her to pack her belongings and leave the same night.
Amanda Stanton Gets Arrested for Domestic Violence at a Bachelorette Party in Las Vegas

Amanda Stanton, a fan favorite from Ben Higgins’ “Bachelor” Season 20 and two-time “Bachelor in Paradise” alum, was arrested in Las Vegas in September 2018 on one count of battery domestic violence following an altercation with her then-boyfriend Bobby Jacobs at the Wynn’s Encore hotel. The incident occurred in the early morning hours after hotel security responded to a noise complaint from the room where Stanton had been celebrating a friend’s bachelorette party.

According to the police report, Jacobs alleged Stanton hit him while he was in bed, the argument continued for hours, and she at one point swung a hotel room phone at him and scratched and pinched him repeatedly. In her memoir, “Now Accepting Roses,” Stanton acknowledged she had “a couple more drinks than usual” that night and pushed Jacobs while intoxicated to speak to security herself — a decision that prompted hotel security to call police, who arrived at 3:15 a.m.

She entered a plea of not guilty in October 2018, and the Clark County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case in December. Stanton and Jacobs continued dating before splitting the following April.

“I never in my life expected myself to be in a situation like this,” she wrote. “To this day, I am still devastated and confused by what happened that night.”
‘Bachelor’ Chris Soules Arrested for Fleeing the Scene After Fatal Car Crash

Image Credit: Courtesy of Buchanan County Sheriff's Department

In 2017, former “Bachelor” lead Chris Soules was involved in a hit-and-run in which Kenneth Mosher, a 66-year-old war veteran, died. Allegedly, while driving a Chevy pickup, Soules slammed into a tractor being driven by Mosher. As Soules recounts, he called 911 and administered CPR before leaving the scene in a different truck than he’d driven there in. He was then arrested at his home for fleeing the scene, and in 2019 he was sentenced to two years probation after pleading guilty. Soules also reportedly paid Mosher’s family a $2.5 million settlement.

“The trauma of being involved in [the accident] is something I cannot describe,” Soules told People in 2019 when discussing the incident for the first time. “I think about it every day.”

Before leading the 19th season of “The Bachelor” in 2015, Soules was a fan favorite on Andi Dorfman’s season of “The Bachelorette,” on which he came in third place.
‘Bachelorette’ Winner Garrett Yrigoyen Exposed for Liking Controversial Posts

Image Credit: Courtesy of ABC

Season 14’s “Bachelorette” lead Becca Kufrin couldn’t seem to catch a break when her final pick, Garrett Yrigoyen, was quickly exposed for liking a slew of controversial social media posts. (In the season prior, Kufrin was dumped in a filmed blindside by “Bachelor” Arie Luyendyk, who then got engaged to his runner-up, Lauren Burnham.) The posts included memes making fun of survivors of the Parkland shooting, the LGBTQ+ community and immigrants, among other groups. After getting engaged to Kufrin, Yrigoyen apologized live on “After the Final Rose,” saying he was “just trying to grow as a person, be a better person on a daily basis. [Kufrin] has helped me through everything.”

Two years later, the couple announced their split. “I don’t think it’s going to come as a shock to anyone, but Garrett and I have decided to end our engagement,” said Kufrin.
Chad Harrison Gets Removed From ‘Bachelor In Paradise’

Chad Harrison was first introduced to Bachelor Nation on JoJo Fletcher’s season of “The Bachelorette,” where he quickly cemented himself as an entertaining — if aggressive — figure (he’d often get into altercations with his fellow cast members, which mostly resulted in a lot of yelling). Despite being sent home in week 4, Harrison was brought back for “Bachelor In Paradise” Season 3, which is like “The Bachelor,” but on a beach and with way more alcohol. What could go wrong?

The answer is a lot — within his first day on the beach, Harrison drank far too much and started hurling insults and freely making threats, including yelling at people that he was going to “murder everyone here” and telling fellow contestant Lace Morris he was going to throw her under a bus. It was not good, to put it mildly. He continued to get more erratic and aggressive before falling asleep and… soiling himself. In the morning, he was confronted by then-host Chris Harrison, which was unproductive, and ended with Chad being sent home — but not before he yelled, “Fuck you, Chris Harrison!”