Taylor Frankie Paul’s Charges
From picture-perfect, Mormon mother of three, to convicted criminal accused of assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child, Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was cancelled after a video was released showing her attacking her then-boyfriend, Dakota Mortenson. Although it’s known amongst people on the side of TikTok that caters to young moms, or “MomTok”, that these women who live seemingly perfect lives are not all that they lead on, Paul’s situation takes the deception of social media to a whole new level.
The rise of her popularity began with her involvement in the MomTok community on TikTok. Paul co-founded a group of young, predominantly Mormon mothers, all with a presence on social media. This group filmed your average lip-syncing and dancing videos, along with lifestyle content about their involvement in their Mormon communities in Utah. These videos would gain traction from millions of mothers who found the content relatable.
That being said, the extravagant life Paul built behind her screen came crashing down as she found herself wrapped up in a major controversy involving the other mothers of MomTok and their husbands. In early 2022, Taylor Frankie Paul and her then-husband, Tate Paul, had gotten in the midst of a “swinging scandal”. She later admitted to breaking the non-monogamy rule she had with her ex-husband and having an affair with a close friend’s husband. She was heavily criticized by the media for both the affair and her morals contradicting her faith, but she remained on social media, sharing her experiences.
The controversy ultimately led her and the other women of MomTok to star in their own reality television show. The show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, followed the moms as they navigated their everyday lives while devoting themselves to the Mormon religion. The show has four seasons and was greenlit for a fifth. However, the fifth season has paused filming due to the outrage involving Paul’s investigation.
A video from February of 2023 recently resurfaced of Paul throwing metal chairs at her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortenson, during a domestic dispute in their home, and allegedly striking her 5-year-old daughter, Indy. Although the video does not show what events led up to the dispute, Paul gives her side of the story in released bodycam footage from one of the officers called to her house that night. She states that Mortenson had initiated the altercation by throwing her to the ground. Paul eventually pleaded guilty to a single charge of aggravated assault and was later placed on probation.
Paul was supposed to star in the most recent season of the reality television show, The Bachelorette. Due to the recent controversy and the video evidence of her abuse coming to light, Disney made the decision not to air Paul’s season of the show.
“In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the executive decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,” a Disney spokesperson said.
Paul’s spokesperson made a statement on her behalf. “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.”
