TikTok influencer and reality TV star Taylor Frankie Paul won’t be appearing on The Bachelorette—at least for the time being.
According to Variety, ABC announced Thursday it “made the decision to not move forward with the new season” of the popular dating show, with 31-year-old Paul slated to be the titular role. The network made the announcement after TMZ published video of a domestic incident in 2023 involving The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Motensen.
The first episode of The Bachelorette was scheduled for Sunday, March 22. ABC has not shared whether it may air at a later date. The network added its “focus is on supporting the family.”
Paul has been all over screens of late after the fourth season of Mormon Wives debuted on March 12. The series follows a group of Utah-based Mormon moms who went viral for creating dance videos and content about motherhood on TikTok. In the series, the friend group, sometimes referred to as “MomTok,” is constantly embroiled in drama—with Paul often right in the middle of it.
Now, her offscreen controversy is grabbing the headlines. Here’s what you should know about Taylor Frankie Paul and the investigation involving her.
Why Was Taylor Frankie Paul Arrested and What Happened After?
Just after Paul began filming her first season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, she got into some serious legal trouble.
In February 2023, she was arrested for assault and domestic violence after a drunken argument with then-boyfriend, Mortensen, turned physical. Body camera footage of the arrest was featured on the show. She admitted to police that she threw metal chairs and a wooden play set at Mortensen, which inadvertently hit one of her kids.
“I never intentionally did anything with my children,” the influencer later explained on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast in September 2025.
On March 19, 2026, TMZ reported it had obtained video of the incident and published the footage. In the clip, Paul is seen attempting to put Mortensen in a headlock and then kick him, before throwing three barstools in his direction.
A source told the outlet ABC had not seen the video prior to selecting Paul as the next Bachelorette. TMZ reported an investigation into allegations involving Paul and Mortensen is ongoing.
Paul was initially charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence, child abuse with injury, and criminal mischief for the incident. Upon reaching a plea deal in August 2023, she pleaded guilty to the assault charge, and the others were dismissed. As part of the agreement, Paul was ordered to obtain substance abuse and domestic violence evaluations. She was sentenced to one day in jail, with credit for time served.
Even after the incident, however, Paul and Mortensen continued to date and now have a child together. Their on-again-off-again relationship officially ended in September 2024.
What Was Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Soft-Swinging’ Scandal?
This isn’t Paul’s first high-profile controversy.
In May 2022, Paul made headlines when she revealed she was getting divorced in a viral TikTok livestream. She and then-husband Tate Paul had been engaging in non-monogamy and “soft-swinging,” meaning no one was allowed to “go all the way” with a person outside their marraige without their spouses present, she explained in the video.
In an even more shocking revelation, Paul claimed other MomTok members and their husbands were involved in this swinging group, though she didn’t name names. “Everyone has hooked up with like everyone,” Paul said at the time.
The influencer explained she had a brief affair with one of the men in the soft-swinging group, which ultimately lead to her divorce. While several MomTok couples denied the allegations, Miranda McWhorter, who appeared in the show’s second season, eventually admitted she and ex-husband Chase McWhorter were involved in the swinging scandal.
What Did Taylor Frankie Paul Say About The Bachelorette?
Paul was set to be the first Bachelorette who didn’t previously compete in The Bachelor franchise. The influencer spoke about the role with The Hollywood Reporter.
“Because there’s this certain stigma, if you will, that the Bachelorette should be a little bit more classier (Laughs), more maybe than I am. I’m like, ‘Do I need to clean up my mouth, or say things in a different approach?’ But then, I’m like, uh, no,” she explained. “For me, it’s like, [I have to] be who I am—[it’s a] take it or leave it kind of thing ... People can either love it or hate it, but at least I was just being me.”
More recently, Paul told Us Weekly she was candid about her past—including the soft swinging scandal and her arrest—during her conversations with suitors on the show. “Swinging—that’s such a scandal headline—but it’s also a very traumatic time in my life. That was one of my rock-bottom points,” she said. “I lost my family, my husband. It’s so much deeper than that to me, and deep conversations were had. I think anyone that actually cares about me would definitely be asking those.”
How Did Taylor Frankie Paul Create “MomTok”?
The social media influencer isn’t just a member of MomTok, but the self-proclaimed founder of the group. Paul started the tight-knit TikTok community in 2020, inviting other Mormon moms in Utah to create content together, in which they participate in viral dance trends, share beauty and lifestyle routines, and talk about motherhood and religion.
By 2022, the women of MomTok had become well-known influencers. In addition to Paul, the original MomTok crew included fellow Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars Whitney Leavitt, Mikayla Matthews, and Mayci Neeley.
Was Taylor Frankie Paul Almost on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City?
Before she was cast on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Paul considered joining The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City (RHOSLC). Appearing on an episode of reality star Scheana Shay’s Scheananigans podcast in September 2024, the reality star revealed that she interviewed for RHOSLC first, but was told she was too boring for the Bravo show.
“And basically … a little birdie told me, ‘You didn’t have enough drama in your life,’” she said. “I was obviously not admitting to what we were up to.”
How Many Children Does Taylor Frankie Paul Have?
Paul is a mother of three young kids. She shares two children—a daughter named Indy and a son named Ocean—with her ex-husband, and her son Ever, with her ex-boyfriend, Mortensen. Her eldest, Indy, was born in August 2017—just nine months after she married Tate—and was soon followed by Ocean in June 2020. Four years later, she welcomed her youngest, Ever, in March 2024.
What Has Taylor Frankie Paul Said About Her Father?
Paul, who was raised by her mom and stepdad, Liann and Jeremy May, revealed during season 2 of Mormon Wives that she only met her biological father once before he died. Recalling the meeting in an emotional confessional, she said, “My mom took me to a restaurant. I don’t know how old I was, 4 maybe, and he sees me, and he’s like ‘What’s up kid!’ And that’s literally like all he says to me, and I remembered like turning around and going back to my booth.”
This negative experience, and her dad’s absence in her life before his death, continues to affect her. “When you feel like your dad does not love you, and that’s the only words he has to say to you, I think there’s just a wound there that’s been there for a very long time that I’ve never addressed,” she added.
What is Taylor Frankie Paul’s Net Worth?
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Paul’s net worth around $400,000 as of March 2026.
That number was expected to rise with her appearance on The Bachelorette. Although Paul’s salary was not disclosed publicly, previous stars have regularly made six figures, and one—Emily Maynard—earned $250,000.
Catherine Caruso joined the Biography.com staff in August 2024, having previously worked as a freelance journalist for several years. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she studied English literature. When she’s not working on a new story, you can find her reading, hitting the gym, or watching too much TV.
