Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star under investigation for alleged domestic assault leaving co-stars 'overwhelmed'
A reality TV star and influencer is under investigation over domestic assault allegations involving her ex-boyfriend.
31-year-old mom-of-three Taylor Frankie Paul, a main cast member on the hit Hulu series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, has spent much of her time in the spotlight, becoming embroiled in some fairly high-profile scandals.
Paul, who is still set to take the leading role on the next season of The Bachelorette, became a focus of international attention after a 'soft swinging scandal', which rocked her friendship group.
In 2022, Paul revealed that she and her then-husband, Tate Paul, had an agreement with the other couples, but noted that they did not go 'all the way' with someone else unless their spouse was present.
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However, Paul admitted that she violated this and actually 'had feelings' for one of the other woman's husbands and this ultimately contributed to her divorce from Tate in 2022.
Viewers of season one of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives are then introduced to her new love interest - Dakota Mortensen, 33.
However, following an on-and-off relationship, last year she confirmed that they had gone their separate ways.
This week, it emerged that Paul is under investigation following an alleged incident involving her ex-boyfriend, Mortensen, in February.
The development came just days after the fourth season of her Hulu show dropped and barely a week before her debut on the latest series of The Bachelorette, which is set to air March 22.
Draper City Police Department confirmed that there was an 'open domestic assault investigation', with a spokesperson for the Utah force adding that 'allegations have been made in both directions' and that 'contact was made with involved parties on [Feb] 24th and 25th'.
Production on the fifth season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has reportedly been halted pending the police investigation, with an insider source telling People: "Taylor has some pretty serious stuff happening regarding her past, and they will see what happens.
"Until that resolves, they are off."
Another source, who claims to be 'close' to the production, told the publication: "The girls are very overwhelmed. They all banded together and they don’t want to come back right now.
"They were just getting tired of Taylor, honestly."
Other 'sources' told People that 'none of the women want to be associated with her' after the alleged incident.
Meanwhile, another source told US Weekly: "The men on The Bachelorette have all been rallying around each other in solidarity and feel extremely upset and let down by Taylor and the situation."
What has Taylor Frankie Paul said?
During a NYC press preview of The Bachelorette on Tuesday (March 17), Paul broke her silence on the allegations.
She told People: "Honestly, just like, my heart hurts to see it, to go through it, especially at this time.
"Just the timing is hard, and it's a big deal. 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 continued: "It's just heavy. It's a heavy time, and it's unfortunate.
"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."
In 2023, Paul was arrested on suspicious of domestic violence after an argument with Mortensen.
According to CBS News, she was accused of throwing 'heavy, metal chairs' at Mortensen, with one allegedly hitting her daughter.
The MomTok founder would ultimately plead guilty to one count of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, so that the court would drop the more serious: two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, third-degree felonies, a class A misdemeanor charge of child abuse and a class B misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief.
This plea deal included a 'three year abeyance', which stated that the reality TV star's felony would not be lowered to a misdemeanor if she failed to meet terms set by the court.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline on 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 24/7. You can find a list of local resources here.
Topics: Crime, Domestic Abuse, Film and TV, Celebrity
William Morgan