NEW: Major Sponsor Pulls Out of "Bachelorette" as Taylor Frankie Paul Addresses Domestic Violence Investigation

00:00:10
Speaker 1: Hey, the folks, it is Wednesday, March eighteenth, and Robot just told me to save it for the podcast because we had plenty to say. Bachelorette starts on Sunday, but already some are getting out of the Bachelorette and the Taylor Frankie Paul business with that. Welcome to this episode of Amy and Tjes. When money starts flying, this becomes a different conversation. This isn't just social media now talking about what's going on with her. Now a company has said we're.

00:00:42
Speaker 2: Out, exactly, and you would think that that might prompt Disney, which owns both ABC and Hulu, to say something, make some sort of comment, some sort of statement, either in support of Taylor, Frankie Paul and the Bachelorette or distancing themselves, but they have reined completely silent even now in the wake of a collaborator, a partner, a very well known brand pulling out.

00:01:09
Speaker 1: Look, if you get to the point where a company that sells cinnabons doesn't even want to be in business with you, we should probably we should probably have some conversation.

00:01:19
Speaker 3: Uh yes, because as you point out, money talks.

00:01:21
Speaker 2: That is when the pressure is real it's not just public opinion or controversy, which honestly, in a lot of ways makes all of your promotion all the better.

00:01:33
Speaker 3: You're gonna have more eyes. Most likely more people are going to watch.

00:01:38
Speaker 2: Sunday's debut of The Bachelorette because of all of this. Maybe there will be people who will be so disgusted by the headlines that they will turn it off, But I would bet that ratings will be up because of this, and certainly Disney is betting on that.

00:01:54
Speaker 1: And what we're talking about here is Cinnabon has come out now and said they are stepping back and they are not going to be a part of advertising. They're not going to be a part of promoting, They're not going to be a part of any partnership anymore with the bachelorreat and in particular Taylor Frankie Paul, after the current controversy has now exploded to a certain degree in which Robes the police department out there in Utah has confirmed that there is a criminal investigation into a domestic violence incident between her and her ex. I guess someone you share as a child with.

00:02:27
Speaker 3: You could put X in quotes because it's unclear.

00:02:29
Speaker 2: Ah, Yeah, Yeah, their relationship is constantly on again, off again.

00:02:32
Speaker 3: Dakota Mortenson is his name.

00:02:34
Speaker 2: He has been prominently featured and so has their toxic relationship on the Secret Wives of Mormon Lives or Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

00:02:42
Speaker 3: That was wonderful. I just nailed that up, so.

00:02:45
Speaker 1: I can't even say it again. It was so messed up.

00:02:47
Speaker 3: I don't even know what I said.

00:02:49
Speaker 1: Secret Lives foremon O Warwin Lives. What was that? Wow, I'm gonna have to go back and listen to that one. That was That was very special.

00:02:57
Speaker 3: That was that's called.

00:02:59
Speaker 2: We went to the nixt game last night and I didn't sleep much.

00:03:03
Speaker 1: Oh please, Well, your.

00:03:05
Speaker 3: Brain does crazy things when you don't sleep.

00:03:07
Speaker 2: But yes, so they have been Anyone who's a fan of that show absolutely knows who these two are, and certainly they have history with this specifically Frankie Taylor.

00:03:18
Speaker 3: Frankie Paul has history. She actually has criminal history.

00:03:21
Speaker 2: She pleaded guilty to one charge or one count of aggravated assault. She had several charges against her after she admitted to throwing a barstool at Dakota and it accidentally instead hit her daughter.

00:03:37
Speaker 1: So what we're talking about here is a controversy has exploded because you have an investigation going on, and now the what you just mentioned, Robes is coming up again. So now, Robes, you have Disney Family Company, right, all about family, all about that mouse. You are not just featuring, You are not just allowing on your airwaves. You are promoting prominently as one of the biggest stars on your ABC network. Now is a woman who is being investigated for domestic violence and has a domestic violence conviction on her record that you knew about, and at a time that you're now telling twenty five guys come and try out to be in a relationship with her, Robes. This is a different This isn't jaywalking, This isn't a car accident, This isn't a yelling a weird This isn't getting caught on some viral moment on the street, Robes. Why is domestic violence not being talked about in the way we are accustomed to and want it to be. There is a seriousness, Robes to this story that is missing, I.

00:04:47
Speaker 2: Feel absolutely, and it's because the gender roles are reversed.

00:04:52
Speaker 3: Period.

00:04:54
Speaker 1: Okay, stop right there. If there was a guy who was a bachelor who has a domestic violence conviction on his record. He's immediately not even an option? Is that right?

00:05:05
Speaker 3: A completely different story one hundred percent.

00:05:08
Speaker 1: Now, let's say they've shot The Bachelor and the week it's coming out that guy is under investigation for a domestic violence incident. What happens? Do they come out and say, we'll let the process play out. What do you say? I don't know, Robes, what do we talk about domestic violence?

00:05:26
Speaker 3: I don't know.

00:05:27
Speaker 2: And the problem is, now, like you said, the show that it is, it's a dating show, so that makes it even worse.

00:05:35
Speaker 1: Robes, I don't what are we missing? Are we just waiting for Maybe they're gonna come to their senses. I'm sure these conversations are happening, But I have to ask as well, how much space are we Disney ABC supposed to give for innocent to proven guilty. Let's see how this plays out. Will listen to her side of the story. She hasn't been convicted in this case? Do we give room for that?

00:06:02
Speaker 2: Well, they haven't said anything. I think that's part of the problem. But we did hear from Taylor Frankie Paul yesterday. What did you make of her comments?

00:06:09
Speaker 1: I didn't like them. I don't know what you do expect or supposed to expect in this situation. And there's a legal process, so there's she's limited. But let everybody else hear it, and then I'll comment about where I why I wasn't crazy about it.

00:06:23
Speaker 3: Yeah, because look here you have Taylor Frankie Paul.

00:06:26
Speaker 2: This is the big lead up to the Bachelorette. So she's on a press tour. She is here in New York City. She has to walk through the press, speak to the press, and of course this is all anybody is talking about. Here is what she said last night. Honestly, just like my heart hurts to see it, to go through it, especially at this time. Just the timing is hard and it's a big deal. I feel like every premiere that I've experienced I've never enjoyed fully, So this is another one. It's extremely hard, and it took everything to get me here today. She goes on and says, it's just heavy. It's a heavy time, and it's unfortunate. I'm struggling, for sure, But also at the same time, I feel like if I don't show up, then I'm just giving these opportunities away and not enjoying what we worked on in something super exciting that's coming, and I just feel like it was the right thing to do show up, even though it's hard.

00:07:26
Speaker 3: She played the victim.

00:07:27
Speaker 1: Wait a minute, baby, are you sure that's it? Is there?

00:07:30
Speaker 3: All the comments that I have, did you see this?

00:07:33
Speaker 1: No? No, no, I'm just making sure. I'm saying, is there anything else that you saw? Because that again robes It doesn't suggest or it doesn't lend itself to understanding the seriousness of what we are talking about. And yes, woe is me. Now if she wants to come out and we don't know what happened, maybe she is the victim of the sole victim of domestic violence. That's possible.

00:07:59
Speaker 3: It's possible.

00:08:00
Speaker 2: But all of the reporting out there, and look, you've got TMZ, you've got people in magazine, You've got everyone trying to find out what Dakota Mortenson.

00:08:10
Speaker 3: Might be saying.

00:08:11
Speaker 2: And there are all sorts of allegations that he has videos, that he has recordings that he can show when he showed them to inner circles.

00:08:20
Speaker 3: So we don't know, but we do know this.

00:08:22
Speaker 2: Police have confirmed that there are allegations of violence from both parties about the other.

00:08:29
Speaker 1: Okay, there was nothing she said that addressed the seriousness of what we're talking about. It was nothing to say just hey, this is very difficult and it's a private time. I'm embarrassed that it's happened, but the legal process has Yeah, that would have been something that this is all hard on me.

00:08:48
Speaker 2: Yes, And she went on to talk so she that was what she said about about the actual when people asked her about the allegations and the domestic violence headlines. But she went on to talk about the Bachelorette, and she referenced a little.

00:09:00
Speaker 3: Bit of.

00:09:02
Speaker 2: The problems in her relationships, not just maybe with Dakota, but even with the other women. So again more victimhood here. But I'll give you this last quote because you asked if she said anything else.

00:09:15
Speaker 3: She did say this.

00:09:16
Speaker 2: She said that going on the Bachelorette allowed her to get quote out of my toxicity.

00:09:21
Speaker 3: Of a life in Utah and bubble. It was like the best thing I could have done.

00:09:25
Speaker 2: There was a lot of reassurance in who I am, you know, from all these men just being kind and gentle and gentlemen.

00:09:33
Speaker 3: It kind of brought out.

00:09:34
Speaker 2: My true side of who I am, and honestly believe in me value worth. They made me feel reassured in that and reminded of that. It was a journey of also that too. So again talking about gentle as in gentle men, but she specifically used the word gentle. She talked about toxicity, but again there was no acknowledgment of any role she played in any of it. It was all about poor me. This is hard. Why does this keep happening to me?

00:10:01
Speaker 3: Every time? At her premiere but all of the headlines have been her doing.

00:10:05
Speaker 1: Again, I'm trying to roase. I'm trying always to leave space. Don't know this woman well, spend a little time with her. We did, but we like her. We think she's authentic. We think she's a decent woman, right, a decent person. Everybody has issues, and we encourage everybody to get help with those issues. And whatever those issues are, we don't think it's the end of that person, or it should. They no longer deserve a life of dignity, respect or able aur ability to go out and make money or promote them whatever, whatever. That's fine. Romees, I still question. I would like to raise my hand and ask Disney ABC a question about whatever that sliding scale might be. Of morality, of family, of decency, of acceptable public behavior. I would love to ask that question this. They had her on the red car. She is a superstar for them that they're banking on with ratings. So let me ask you, Robes if if on Sunday this thing premieres it has record ratings or at least increased ratings, does Disney not give a damn about any of this other noise. All that matters is we god numbers.

00:11:20
Speaker 2: Look, I think we have learned this and seen this and experienced this.

00:11:25
Speaker 3: They read, ah, they read.

00:11:28
Speaker 2: The comments, They read what people are saying, and they make their decision based on where they think public opinion is.

00:11:34
Speaker 1: That's I think maybe a lot of companies do that. But they are waiting. This is an investment they've put in there. Okay, maybe that's they are waiting to see which way the wind blows.

00:11:42
Speaker 3: That is what I believe.

00:11:44
Speaker 1: Stay here because the wind right now is starting to blow in a different direction. And one company in particular we mentioned off the top, Cinnabon does not want to be in the bachelorette business. And listen to their statement. We'll read it for you. While they say they do not want anything to do with Taylor. Frankie Paul continuing here on this Wednesday morning, I think Robes, you've you hit on a good point there. Does it matter? Will it matter to Disney ABC? As long as the ratings are good on Bachelorette all this controversy, will they care? You said it? Probably correctly. They are watching very closely to see who's saying what, and I'm sure they're hearing from advertisers behind the scenes before any of them say anything publicly.

00:12:38
Speaker 3: Oh, can you imagine what's going on? We can.

00:12:42
Speaker 2: We do have a little insight into what's most certainly going on behind the scenes, and they are panicking because they don't know where they end up.

00:12:52
Speaker 1: You think it's they're having a conversation about pulling the show.

00:12:55
Speaker 2: I think that has been a conversation. They have to, don't They absolutely, we have to have the conversation. Reports out there that that has happened. There are reports out there that that is happening. We don't actually know if it is, but you'd have to think that they have had to consider that possibility because this could go from bad to worst. Who knows what if there are videos, what if Dakota does release videos what if there become viral moments of her?

00:13:19
Speaker 3: Yeah, so there.

00:13:20
Speaker 2: I'm sure they are planning for worst case scenario and hoping for the best.

00:13:25
Speaker 1: Well, is there any scenario where you can survive putting her on as a star of your network and survive videos of her when you.

00:13:36
Speaker 2: Have publicly, in multiple instances, claim that you've made decisions based on family values.

00:13:42
Speaker 3: I find that very hard to stomach.

00:13:44
Speaker 1: There's money, though, baby, I don't know. Man, that's money and money money if those ratings are good on Sunday. But do we even get to Sunday?

00:13:52
Speaker 3: I don't know.

00:13:53
Speaker 2: And so to that point, yes, Cinnabon pretty quickly yesterday, it was pretty.

00:13:59
Speaker 3: Swift, came out with this statement.

00:14:01
Speaker 2: After the allegations became public, they released this, Cinnabon has made the decision to terminate its collaboration with The Bachelorette and the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Recent developments and allegations surrounding the lead cast member led us to reassess this collaboration as it no longer aligns with our brand values.

00:14:24
Speaker 3: Ouch.

00:14:25
Speaker 2: I mean they went and got very specific. They didn't name her name, but clearly they pointed the finger directly at her and this collaboration was this new Sworld soda. So Mormons typically don't drink caffeine or alcohol or coffee, so you've got cinnabon coming up with. He saw the girls drinking these worlds soda, so they created one specifically for that brand. They had the cup, sleeves and the packaging with the bachelorette and Mormon wives on it. So they think about how much that probably cost to print all of these cups and these sleeves and just promoting the drink. And now it's all And by the way, this collaboration began last week, Babe, March ninth. They rolled this all out literally eight days later.

00:15:15
Speaker 3: They had to say never mind, Oh that's a big deal.

00:15:19
Speaker 1: And you make by describing realized what the collaboration was. That is the problem with collaborating with Bachelorette is because so much of the things you collaborate on are specific and sweet. They're heartwarming. They have everything to do with love and companionship and roses and arms.

00:15:36
Speaker 3: Fuzzy feelings.

00:15:37
Speaker 1: Yes you can. There is nothing you cannot warm and fuzzy your way around domestic violence, no anything, name anything else. Babe in the almost This is a criminal act. That is one of the worst things you can get accused of in a relationship. I guess the robes.

00:15:58
Speaker 3: If you're a man, Wow, there's the caveat.

00:16:04
Speaker 1: What's the conversation? Baby? Should we all just say it out loud? It's not the same and we should not see it the same. If a woman hits a man, it's different because generally the man is a bigger, the stronger guy. She can't have as much to impact. So therefore, is domestic violence perpetrated by a woman different and should be treat it differently then a man should it. We had this conversation yesterday and you had the same look on your face. We're trying to figure this out.

00:16:34
Speaker 2: It's hard because I think we have to acknowledge that there is a difference in impact. But if it escalates and it's okay for a woman to hit, push, shove, choke, bite, scratch, whatever it is, I think she was accused of all of the above.

00:16:53
Speaker 1: You weren't just reeling stuff off. That's specifically what the accusations are.

00:16:57
Speaker 2: Yes, you know, if there's a knife near, if there's a gun in the house, like you just think how things like you have to consider all of that. That violence can lead to more violence, and you can't just brush it away or say it's okay, or oh, it was just you know, a little girl, you know, kind of like basically flicking a big guy.

00:17:18
Speaker 1: Do you think that conversation's happening as well in some room, somebody saying, well, maybe the public won't be as tough on it because it's a one Absolutely, you think that conversation Jesus Christ, because.

00:17:28
Speaker 3: To your point, if this were reversed, there would be zero.

00:17:31
Speaker 1: What are we talking about? Nothing to talk about.

00:17:33
Speaker 2: And right now Disney's silence is deafening. I mean, it says so much that they've said nothing.

00:17:40
Speaker 1: Maybe they just want to get to Sunday.

00:17:42
Speaker 3: Baby, that's what they're hoping.

00:17:43
Speaker 1: You're thinking, you're going to watch. This turns me off from watching. I know you told me that ye had a level of interest in it because of our time with her, just out of curiosity, just curiosity. Now this feels like a you know what, It doesn't feel authentic, it feels like a mess. It feels like completely up. We're being played for the sake of getting people to watch, and it doesn't matter. We're desperate. We don't care what you think of her and what she's done. We just want everybody talking about it and give us some numbers, give us the viewership. It seems like that's all that matters.

00:18:20
Speaker 3: This was supposed to save the franchise.

00:18:22
Speaker 1: Yes, what is it? They didn't do it last summer? Yes, they pushed it b right. Did they change the schedule?

00:18:27
Speaker 2: Yeah's and they've moved it from Monday nights to Sunday nights.

00:18:31
Speaker 3: And look it's only Twesday. Look no, it's Wednesday. It's only Wednesday.

00:18:35
Speaker 2: They still have I mean, if you opened your phone yesterday or opened your computer to any any online.

00:18:43
Speaker 3: News source, it was everywhere and the headlinnch.

00:18:47
Speaker 2: And now that the truth is we know this cycle once, especially the tabloids know that this is a highly clickable story, which it is. They are going to dig and dig and dig and get these headlines aren't going anywhere.

00:18:58
Speaker 3: They're going to get wilder and they survive.

00:19:01
Speaker 2: Can the bach there read survive the next three days of nonstoppen?

00:19:06
Speaker 1: How many millions have you put into this woman and this show which has been shot? It's done right? Oh yeah, oh yeah, it's in the can.

00:19:15
Speaker 2: There are if you go dig enough I have. Unfortunately you can see who people say she ends up with. I mean, yes, Coyne.

00:19:25
Speaker 1: He sent her off here. Honey, let's spend one last night together. Now go find love that the show actually rolled, has gotten to a point where you believe in love, where you believe in possibility. Who are favorites? We love this.

00:19:43
Speaker 2: I love that season. That was the first season, and that it was real, it was authentic. And look in this whole world of reality TV, that's what people want and that's the last thing they're getting.

00:19:54
Speaker 1: Oh god, Okay, Well, we'll see how this shakes it to TVD. Will be developments on this, no doubt. Right. Do you know what she has next to her next promotion? She's in New York.

00:20:05
Speaker 3: I don't know, but she's in New York.

00:20:06
Speaker 2: Industry was expected to be making all the rounds this week promoting the Bachelorette.

00:20:11
Speaker 3: Good luck.

00:20:13
Speaker 1: We're keeping an eye on it, folks. Always appreciate you spending some time hanging with us. Of course, top right one of your Apple podcasts app where you see that button it says subscribe click that you can always get our updates coming to you. And there are a plenty these days. We will talk to you here soon. Look for the Morning Run. It'll be next up on the feed here shortly with the day's news headlines. But for now I'm TJ. Holmes On behalf of my dear Amy Robock. We will talk to you soon