Taylor Frankie Paul, star of “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and the upcoming “Bachelorette,” is addressing her involvement in a reported domestic dispute.
Taylor Frankie Paul, Dakota Mortensen investigation in Utah underway
Authorities are reportedly investigating an alleged domestic incident involving “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” stars Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen.
“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul is addressing her involvement in a reported domestic violence incident that has halted production.
The reality star, who is set to lead the upcoming season of “The Bachelorette,” told People at the Season 22 premiere on Tuesday, March 17, that her “heart hurts to see it, to go through it, especially at this time.”
“Just the timing is hard, and it’s a big deal,” Paul added, per the outlet. “I feel like every premiere that I’ve experienced, I’ve never enjoyed fully, so this is another one … it’s extremely hard, and it took everything to get me here today.”
Paul also told E! that she wants to give the “whole background” of the situation at a “different time,” but kept her comments at “there is more to the story.” She added, “It just sucks to be known as ‘crazy girl’ if you will, because that’s just not the case. Timing is unfortunate of this all, but at the same time, not a surprise, because I’ve dealt with this for years now, of having every premiere ruined for me.”
What happened between Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex?
Police are reportedly investigating an alleged domestic incident involving Paul, 31, and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen. The Draper City Police Department in Northern Utah confirmed to People that there is an ongoing “domestic assault investigation” involving Paul and Mortensen, who have both reportedly leveled allegations.
TMZ was first to report the news of an alleged incident involving Paul and Mortensen, which multiple outlets report has halted production on Season 5 of “Mormon Wives.”
Paul confirmed to “Good Morning America” in a live interview Wednesday, March 18, that production was paused, but she didn’t know “for how long.”
“When your life is broadcasted out there in these headlines, it’s like the end of the world. That’s what it feels like, I’m not going to lie,” she continued. “But I will say, I’ve been here before and I got through it and shared my story … so I’m hoping that I can do that again.”
Law enforcement made contact with the parties on Feb. 24 and 25, the police spokesperson told People. When reached by USA TODAY, the Draper Police Department issued a statement saying it “respects the rights and privacy of all citizens.”
It continued, “Without an immediate impact to public safety, it is the practice of the department not to release details related to active investigations.”
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for “Mormon Wives” and “The Bachelorette” for comment.
Taylor Frankie Paul is next ‘Bachelorette’ amid alleged domestic dispute
Paul, who is the first “Bachelorette” lead to helm the franchise despite never appearing on “The Bachelor,” will date 22 men in the upcoming 22nd season, which is expected to premiere Sunday, March 22.
While not getting into specifics, she told People it’s an “unfortunate” time. Still, she didn’t want to miss out on the premiere.
“It’s just heavy. It’s a heavy time, and it’s unfortunate,” she continued. “I’m struggling for sure, but also at the same time I feel like if I don’t show up, then I’m just giving these opportunities away and not enjoying what we’ve worked on and something super exciting that’s coming. I just feel like it was the right thing to do … show up even though it’s hard.”
Paul is mom to 8-year-old Indy and 5-year-old Ocean from her previous marriage to Tate Paul and shares her nearly 2-year-old son, Ever, with Mortensen. The two had an on-and-off relationship, which was documented on “Mormon Wives” and showed they were close right up until she started filming her “Bachelorette” season.
When “Mormon Wives” premiered on Hulu in 2024, it opened with Paul’s legal troubles stemming from a 2023 incident with Mortensen. She was arrested on misdemeanor charges of assault, criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child, according to police.
According to People, local news station KSL and the Salt Lake Tribune, Paul later entered a plea of abeyance to the aggravated assault charge. While the other criminal charges were dropped, the aggravated assault charge will reportedly remain for three years until she meets the conditions of her guilty plea.
Per KSL, Paul’s case has a review date in August. If she follows the terms of the agreement, which include supervised probation and avoiding violating the law for 36 months, the felony charge will be reduced to a class A misdemeanor.
This story was updated to add new information.