'Bachelorette' casting disaster: Taylor Frankie Paul suitor drove car in wreck that paralyzed GOP congressman

Prior to Season 22 being canceled, one of Paul's suitors, Brad Ledford, was discovered to have been behind the wheel of a vehicle that crashed in 2014 and paralyzed the passenger - former North Carolina Congressman Madison Cawthorn.

Ledford was described by casting as a "handsome California cowboy" who was "lassoing for love" and Paul's heart.

"This fearless romantic is ready to start a family and prides himself on being a generous, loving partner. We can't wait to see if he can giddy up his way into our Bachelorette's heart."

Representatives for "The Bachelorette" and Cawthorn did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Social media sleuths went wild online upon realizing the connection between "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star, Ledford and the former house representative.

The vehicle crashed into a concrete barricade while Cawthorn was sleeping in the passenger seat with his legs resting on the dashboard. The collision partially paralyzed Cawthorn, who now uses a wheelchair.

"Who did the vetting this season," one fan asked, which received the response, "I think they wanted men on Taylor's level tbh."

"Like at this point they need to just air the season in all its mess," one user wrote.

Another fan wrote, "Good thing they threw the entire season away."

"Wow. Might be time for a new casting department. Or… just stick a fork in the franchise and be done," one follower wrote.

ABC pulled the plug on Paul's season on March 19 amid a recent domestic abuse investigation - just three days before Season 22 was scheduled to air.

"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 Disney Entertainment Television told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

On March 15, production for Season 5 of "Mormon Wives" came to a halt due to an alleged physical altercation between Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, that occurred in 2023, according to TMZ.

Fox News Digital's Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed to this report.