How CreatorScore Would Have
Prevented ABC's $40M+ Mistake
AI-powered due diligence for the creator economy. Every risk signal was public record before ABC invested — CreatorScore would have found them in under 60 seconds.
Total Followers
8.6M
TikTok 6.1M + IG 2.5M
Posts Analyzed
49
Across 2 platforms
Comments Analyzed
540
Real audience comments
CreatorScore
40 / 100
Poor — Knockout triggered
Score: 40/100 (Poor) — Knockout Triggered
Critical real-world controversy: Felony aggravated assault guilty plea (2023), domestic violence arrest, ongoing investigation (2026). Score capped at 40. Volatility: HIGH RISK (60/100).
Executive Summary
On September 10, 2025, ABC announced Taylor Frankie Paul as the next Bachelorette — a franchise-first selection of someone who had never appeared on The Bachelor. On March 19, 2026 — three days before the season premiere — ABC was forced to cancel the entire season after TMZ published video of Paul assaulting her ex-boyfriend in a 2023 domestic violence incident.
The arrest, charges, and guilty plea were all public record at the time of casting. A CreatorScore risk assessment would have flagged Taylor Frankie Paul as HIGH RISK with a score of 40/100 (Poor) before ABC invested an estimated $40M+ in production, marketing, and brand partnerships.
CreatorScore Risk Assessment
7-agent AI analysis across 49 posts and 540 audience comments
Score capped at 40 by a knockout factor triggered by critical web controversies: felony assault guilty plea, domestic violence arrest, and ongoing criminal investigation. Without the knockout, the weighted average would have been approximately 65/100 — her content and engagement are strong, but real-world behavior makes her toxic for brands.
Agent Score Breakdown
Based on 49 posts and 540 comments across TikTok (6.1M) and Instagram (2.5M)
Low risk in posted content
Real audience, genuine engagement
Active, engaged community
Decent engagement potential
Controversy drags score down
DV concerns erode audience trust
Audience sentiment is negative
60
Volatility Score
PR crisis risk — how likely to cause a brand safety incident
The Gap Only AI Can Find
Her content is great (96/100) and her audience is real (95/100). Traditional content-only analysis would rate her as excellent. But her real-world behavior is catastrophic — and her audience knows it (Sentiment: 35/100). This is exactly the gap CreatorScore fills.
What 540 Comments Reveal
CreatorScore analyzed 540 audience comments across 30 posts. The audience is real (Authenticity 95/100) and actively discussing the controversies. Any brand association would immediately trigger this kind of backlash.
Negative Comments — Assault & Violence References
DID WE ALL NOT SEE THE SAME VIDEO??!!! WE SAW HER HIT HER BABY WITH A METAL STOOL!! And then NOT IMMEDIATELY MAKE SURE SHES OK! wtf am I missing?!
Child safety concernAbuse in front of your child is NOT ok! When told "your daughter is in here" and you don't STOP that's a problem. I've supported and gone to bat for this young lady not anymore.
Former supporter turned criticStop hiding behind "mental health" to excuse hurting people. What you did was wrong — full stop. Your partner got hurt, a child was put at risk.
Accountability demandAs a mother I remain horrified.
Parental concernThat video was horrific and to be quite frank, extremely sickening.
Audience shockWHY IS SHE NOT IN JAIL ????
Criminal justice concernYou can remove the bachelorette from your bio now.
Career damagePlease seek help and leave every social media platform forever
Deplatforming demandSupportive Comments — But Even Fans Are Conflicted
I still support you Taylor! He knew what he was doing & it was dirty!!!! You got this girl!!!!
Loyal fan — but references incidentWE STILL WANT YOUR SEASON QUEEN
Die-hard fan — show cancelled regardlessBrand Risk: Critical
Even supportive comments reference the controversy. Any brand sponsorship post would be immediately flooded with DV references, “chair throwing” jokes, and calls for accountability. The comment section IS the brand safety risk — and it's organic, not coordinated.
Timeline of Events
Every event below was publicly documented before ABC's September 2025 casting decision.
Soft swinging scandal — admits to non-monogamy in TikTok livestream, fractures MomTok community, leads to divorce from Tate Paul.
Arrested in Herriman, Utah — felony aggravated assault, 2x DV in presence of child, child abuse with injury, criminal mischief. Threw metal chairs at Dakota Mortensen while child was in room.
Pleads guilty to third-degree felony aggravated assault. Plea held in abeyance for 3 years.
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 1 premieres on Hulu. Paul is the central figure.
ABC announces Paul as the next Bachelorette on the Call Her Daddy podcast. First-ever lead not from a Bachelor season.
TMZ publishes Paul's 2023 arrest mugshot. Cinnabon and Meta terminate brand partnerships within 48 hours.
TMZ releases assault video showing Paul throwing barstools, attempting headlock. ABC cancels entire season 3 days before premiere.
Dakota Mortensen files restraining order and demands sole custody. SLOMW Season 3 filming paused.
Estimated Financial Impact to ABC/Disney
Every Signal Was Already Public
Every risk signal — the felony conviction, the DV arrest, the negative audience sentiment — was publicly available at the time of casting. CreatorScore would have surfaced them all in under 60 seconds for less than $0.25 per assessment.
What CreatorScore Would Have Shown in September 2025
Had ABC used CreatorScore before announcing Taylor Frankie Paul as the Bachelorette, the platform would have returned the following assessment based on information that was publicly available at the time:
CreatorScore
40/100 POOR
Capped by critical controversy knockout
Volatility
60/100 HIGH RISK
Felony guilty plea on public record since Aug 2023
Sentiment
35/100
Audience already discussing DV arrest in comments
Authenticity
95/100
Genuine audience means real backlash, not bot noise
Recommendation: DO NOT PARTNER
Active felony plea agreement, documented violence, audience-aware controversy. Any brand partnership would trigger immediate audience backlash referencing the DV conviction.
Don't Let the Next Taylor Frankie Paul Cost You $40M+
The information that destroyed ABC's investment was hiding in plain sight — public court records, news articles, and social media posts. CreatorScore's AI-powered web search and controversy detection would have surfaced these risks in under 60 seconds for less than $0.25 per creator assessment.
Data sourced from CreatorScore AI analysis (March 2026). Web intelligence gathered from publicly available sources including NPR, NBC News, TMZ, Variety, CBS News, and social media platforms. This case study is for educational purposes and does not constitute legal or investment advice.