Taylor Frankie Paul’s family, relationships and scandals explained

Taylor Frankie Paul, star of the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, is in the headlines after her new season of ABC’s dating show The Bachelorette was canceled after footage of her seemingly assaulting her ex-partner surfaced.

The decision comes as Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, have faced an investigation into separate allegations of domestic violence, according to The New York Times. 

“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,” Disney, which owns ABC, said in a statement.

A video of her 2023 assault involving Mortensen, was leaked to TMZ days before the latest season of The Bachelorette was set to air.

Newsweek reached out to Paul for comment via Instagram message on Thursday evening.

This is what we know about Paul, her family and her on-screen scandals.

Who Is Taylor Frankie Paul?

Paul, 31, is a TikTok influencer and the star of Hulu’s Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

Based in Utah, Paul first made headlines in May of 2022, after she took to TikTok and admitted to “swinging” with friends in the Mormon community.

Paul is the founder of #MomTok, a term that refers to a group of primarily Mormon mothers who create content together and have been doing so for several years.

During an appearance on Alex Cooper’s podcast, Call Her Daddy, Paul announced that she was going to be taking the lead on The Bachelorette.

Paul was raised in Utah by her mother, Liann. Her biological father was not present in her life, and the two met only once before he died. Her mother’s husband, Jeremy, came into the picture when Paul was 2 years old.

Speaking to Decider in 2024, Paul emphasized that while she is Mormon, she doesn’t take “pressure from my church.”

Taylor Frankie Paul’s Scandals

Controversies have accompanied Paul’s rise to fame. The first of these was the soft swinging scandal, which was part of what catapulted Paul to fame. Paul exposed that there had been a “soft swinging” arrangement that she and her ex-husband were involved in with other MomTok couples. This had, in turn, contributed to her getting divorced from her first husband and father of two of her children, Tate.

The swinging scandal is what originally led to the women landing their own Hulu reality show, and the first season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives followed the fallout from that scandal.

Beyond the swinging scandal, the most notable controversies that Paul has been involved in relate to her relationship with Mortensen and the fallout over The Bachelorette.

Taylor Frankie Paul’s Relationship with Dakota Mortensen

Mortensen and Paul’s relationship features heavily on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

The show’s first season showed the beginning of their relationship. Mortensen is a recovering addict, and the two met on TikTok. They have broken up and gotten back together multiple times. They briefly broke up in December of 2022 and then got back together a month later.  

In February of 2023, Paul was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors; assault, criminal mischief and domestic violence in the presence of a child.

Bodycam footage of the arrest showed Paul crying and saying that she had been fighting with Mortensen. That footage was included in The Secret Lives of Mormon Lives.

In August of 2023, Paul pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault.

Then, in September 2023, Paul announced that she and Mortensen were expecting their first child together. This, in turn, led to criticism from the Mormon church, as Paul and Mortensen were not married.

She gave birth to their child in March of 2024.

The two broke up and got back together multiple times before Paul was named as ABC’s new “Bachelorette” in September of 2025.

The Fallout Over ‘The Bachelorette’

On the morning of Thursday, March 19, TMZ obtained a video of the 2023 incident. That video shows the altercation, and Paul is seen throwing wooden stools and kicking her ex-boyfriend. Her daughter is in the room at the time of the incident.

After that footage was released, ABC said that Paul’s season of The Bachelorette had been canceled.

The season was set to premiere on Sunday, March 22.

The choice of Paul as The Bachelorette had already been criticized, as critics wondered if it was appropriate in the context of her relationship with Mortensen.

Filming of the next season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has been halted.

Paul’s co-star Mikayla Matthews said on social media on Wednesday that it had been a collective decision and that they “didn’t feel comfortable filming with everything that was happening.”

A spokesperson for the police department in Draper City, Utah, confirmed to People magazine that there is an open domestic assault investigation regarding Paul and Mortensen. The allegations have been “made in both directions” and “contact was made with involved parties on [Feb] 24th and 25th,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson did not provide more details about the allegations.

Paul addressed the investigation during an interview with Good Morning America this week.

“Honestly, it’s been a heavy time to see the headlines, especially during this time of The Bachelorette being released, and it’s supposed to be a really exciting time,” she said. “I’m a person that will always speak my truth, and so when the time is right, I will be. But right now, just trying to be in the present moment and focus on this. The thing is, my kids do come first. My kids come first, and it’s been just a back-and-forth process.”

How Many Kids Does Taylor Have?

Paul has three children, two with her ex-husband, Tate, and one with Mortensen.

She became a mother in August of 2017, when she welcomed her daughter, Indy May, with Tate. In June of 2020, they welcomed their second child, a son named Ocean.

After she split from Tate, Paul welcomed her third child, a son, Ever True, with Mortensen. He was born in March of 2024, and she and Mortensen split a few months later.

Is Taylor Frankie Paul Engaged?

According to Cosmopolitan, Paul is engaged. Cosmopolitan cited Reality Steve, who shares spoilers on Bachelor Nation, as saying Paul got engaged at the end of her season of The Bachelorette to Doug Mason.

Taylor Frankie Paul’s Statement

In a statement given to Variety after it was confirmed that her season of The Bachelorette will not air, a spokesperson said: “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.

“There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives.”

The statement concluded: “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.”