The full scope of the fallout from Taylor Frankie Paul’s legal issues remains to be seen, after her season of The Bachelorette was pulled from the 2026 TV schedule. Paul’s “toxic relationship” with her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen is at the center of the disturbing viral video from Paul’s 2023 arrest and reports of two other domestic violence incidents since then. Knowing what we do now, it’s devastating to look back at what the MomTok leader said about her ex and why she agreed to lead The Bachelorette.
It’s unknown if we’ll ever see the already filmed episodes of The Bachelorette Season 22 or if this could spell “the beginning of the end” of ABC’s longtime dating franchise. The future of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — which prominently featured Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen’s drama — is seemingly at risk too. Now an interview from 2025 has resurfaced in which ET asked Paul why she went the reality dating show route to find love. She responded:
First of all, it wasn’t working the way I was doing it. We’ve seen it go over and over, same thing, same thing, and I’m, like, oh my gosh. A toxic relationship is, statistically, it’s like a drug. It’s like you can’t withdraw, and also when they’re your baby daddy, you know, I can’t just be like, ‘Peace, no contact,’ like that doesn’t work. So I think I need to be taken away from this, and this was an opportunity of, like, ‘I have to go.’
Taylor Frankie Paul talked a lot on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 4 (which you can stream with a Hulu subscription) about the cycle she was in with Dakota Mortensen. In between the fighting, crying and trying to make each other jealous, they slept together at least twice in the weeks leading up to her filming The Bachelorette.
Article continues belowI’m no mental health expert, but I get the feeling she was trying to escape the situation, hoping that physical distance from her ex might help to break the cycle. She continued:
It also came to a point where I was so unhappy, and I’m like, ‘I want to get outside of Utah. Get me out of here.’ Let’s progress. This is out of my comfort zone, and I was like, ‘You know what? You want to progress in life? Just do it. Do it.’ And here we are.
It sounds to me like she was running from unresolved issues between her and Dakota Mortensen, and — after watching all of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — it feels safe to say that she probably wasn’t in the best headspace to go on a show where you get engaged to someone in a matter of weeks.
It’s sad to hear her say her bond with her ex-boyfriend was something she didn’t feel she could “withdraw” from, especially given the son they share (she also has two children with her ex-husband Tate Paul). Taylor Frankie Paul has said the worst part of that 2023 video leaking has been its effect on her children.
Dakota Mortensen currently has custody of 2-year-old Ever after filing a temporary protective order against Taylor Frankie Paul in March following a reported February incident in which, according to TMZ, Paul allegedly choked and scratched Mortensen during two separate fights in the presence of their son. Paul has denied that she was the aggressor.
The two are scheduled to appear remotely for a hearing April 7 to discuss their custody arrangement and then again for another hearing April 30.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
