Taylor Frankie Paul has announced her decision to “detach” herself from the Mormon church as she continues to deal with the fallout from multiple domestic violence allegations.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 31, was set to lead season 22 of The Bachelorette. However, days before its premiere, a violent video of her 2023 assault involving her ex, Dakota Mortensen, was leaked, leading ABC to cancel the season. Another alleged instance of domestic violence between Paul and Mortensen in February also brought a pause to the production of season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Paul has since spoken out, describing the past 40 days as “hell on earth,” in an Instagram post shared Easter Sunday.
Later that day, the mother of three, who was born and raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced that she would be distancing herself from the church.
“I’ll always have love and respect towards it,” Paul wrote in an Instagram Story. “I’ll even continue to go with my family at times, with that being said, it’s time to detach myself from it.”
Clarifying that she still strongly believes in “Christ, God, the bible, the divine,” she shared her belief that “we are loved whether we are praying in [a] church building or from a bathroom floor at home.”
“I’ve also experienced grace and love from amazing people that aren’t sure what they believe if at all and that’s okay too,” the TikTok influencer-turned-reality star added. “Point being there is more out there to learn.”
Paul first rose to fame in 2022 when she went viral for posting about a “soft swinging” with her friend group — a social media clique known as MomTok — amid her divorce from her ex-husband, Tate Paul. The scandal inspired Hulu to create a reality TV show about the group, titled The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Following the show’s success, Paul was tapped to lead season 22 of The Bachelorette, a move that drew controversy over her limited ties to the franchise.
Last month, just days before the season debut, ABC made the costly decision to scrap the season after disturbing video footage from 2023, showing Paul attacking Mortensen and throwing metal barstools at him, was released.
It was already publicly known that in 2023, Paul was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors, including assault, criminal mischief and domestic violence in the presence of a child. In August of that year, she pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault, and the other charges against her were dropped. She is currently under a three-year probation for the offense.
“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,” ABC’s parent company, Disney, said in a statement.
Paul’s representative issued a statement, accusing Mortensen, 33, of leaking the 2023 video “to distract from his own behavior.”
Mortensen later denied Paul’s claims in a statement of his own, saying: “As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation. I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same.”
Paul’s representative released a second statement, this time addressing the cancellation of The Bachelorette. “Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security. 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.”
The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated men’s advice line on 0808 8010 327. Those in the US can call the domestic violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org
