NEED TO KNOW
- Taylor Frankie Paul was set to be the lead of the US The Bachelorette before it was cancelled by the American network ABC.
- The show was cancelled three days before its premiere after footage was leaked allegedly showing Paul attacking her ex partner Dakota Mortensen.
Taylor Frankie Paul has made a statement following American broadcaster ABC has cancelling her season of The Bachelorette three days before the premiere due to incriminating leaked footage and ongoing “domestic assault investigation” involving The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives star.
A spokesperson for the reality star made a statement to TMZ early on Friday.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritises her family’s safety and security,” the statement began.
“After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.
“Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
The footage — released by TMZ on Wednesday (local time) — allegedly showed Paul attacking her ex partner Dakota Mortensen in 2023 with a child close by during the outburst.
The 31-year-old reality star was set to lead the latest season of the long-running reality dating show.
In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson from Disney Entertainment confirmed that Paul’s season of The Bachelorette season 22 would be cancelled.
“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.”
Paul was previously arrested for domestic violence incident involving Mortensen in February 2023 and the investigation is still ongoing. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Monday, Paul admitted that she was “struggling”.
“I think it’s been really difficult and heavy given, you know, all the headlines and what’s going on but I would say I am handling it like any normal human would, like struggling, but trying to show up at the same time,” she said.
While The Bachelorette‘s cancellation has only just been confirmed, earlier in the week, a source told the publication that filming had been paused on season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives due to “some pretty serious stuff happening regarding [Paul’s] past.”
Fellow Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives star Mikayla Matthews confirmed this shortly after.
““None of the women want to be associated with her,” they said. On Wednesday, Mikayla Matthews confirmed that it was the cast of Mormon Wives‘ decision to take a break from filming.
“It was a decision that all us girls came up with and agreed on,” Matthews wrote on her Instagram Stories.
“We didn’t feel comfortable filming with everything that has happened.”
Paul and Mortensen first started dating in 2022. Their turbulent relationship has been a fixture of The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives series since it premiered in 2024. They have a two-year-old son together named Ever.
Paul is also a mother to her eight-year-old daughter Indy and five-year-old son Ocean whom she shares with her ex-husband Tate Paul.
Paul first rose to notoriety after creating #MomTok, a group where a bunch of Mormon moms got together to create content on TikTok. While their videos were successful, the group went massively viral after Paul took to the social media app to claim that the group had been “soft swinging”. This scandal became the basis of the The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives.
Ultimately, cancellation raises questions about the future of The Bachelorette franchise and Taylor Frankie Paul’s role in reality television.. For more information, you can read the entire Taylor Frankie Paul and Mormon Wives backstory HERE.
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