diff --git src/wp-includes/default-filters.php src/wp-includes/default-filters.php
index c1f6f673e1..53f1d7b247 100644
--- src/wp-includes/default-filters.php
+++ src/wp-includes/default-filters.php
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ foreach ( array( 'single_post_title', 'single_cat_title', 'single_tag_title', 's
 }
 
 // Format text area for display.
-foreach ( array( 'term_description', 'get_the_author_description', 'get_the_post_type_description' ) as $filter ) {
+foreach ( array( 'term_description', 'get_the_post_type_description' ) as $filter ) {
 	add_filter( $filter, 'wptexturize' );
 	add_filter( $filter, 'convert_chars' );
 	add_filter( $filter, 'wpautop' );
diff --git tests/phpunit/tests/user/author.php tests/phpunit/tests/user/author.php
index d8bdf37a39..669ff72d84 100644
--- tests/phpunit/tests/user/author.php
+++ tests/phpunit/tests/user/author.php
@@ -56,18 +56,18 @@ class Tests_User_Author_Template extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 		$this->assertEquals( 'test_author', get_the_author_meta( 'user_login' ) );
 		$this->assertEquals( 'test_author', get_the_author_meta( 'display_name' ) );
 
-		$this->assertEquals( '<p>test_author</p>', trim( get_the_author_meta( 'description' ) ) );
+		$this->assertEquals( 'test_author', trim( get_the_author_meta( 'description' ) ) );
 		$this->assertEquals( 'test_author', get_the_author_meta( 'user_description' ) );
 		add_user_meta( self::$author_id, 'user_description', 'user description' );
 		$this->assertEquals( 'user description', get_user_meta( self::$author_id, 'user_description', true ) );
 		// user_description in meta is ignored. The content of description is returned instead.
 		// See #20285
 		$this->assertEquals( 'test_author', get_the_author_meta( 'user_description' ) );
-		$this->assertEquals( '<p>test_author</p>', trim( get_the_author_meta( 'description' ) ) );
+		$this->assertEquals( 'test_author', trim( get_the_author_meta( 'description' ) ) );
 		update_user_meta( self::$author_id, 'user_description', '' );
 		$this->assertEquals( '', get_user_meta( self::$author_id, 'user_description', true ) );
 		$this->assertEquals( 'test_author', get_the_author_meta( 'user_description' ) );
-		$this->assertEquals( '<p>test_author</p>', trim( get_the_author_meta( 'description' ) ) );
+		$this->assertEquals( 'test_author', trim( get_the_author_meta( 'description' ) ) );
 
 		$this->assertEquals( '', get_the_author_meta( 'does_not_exist' ) );
 	}