Taylor Frankie Paul, the Utah reality star slated to be ABC’s upcoming “Bachelorette,” addressed reports Wednesday of an alleged domestic abuse incident involving her former boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.
Paul built a career as a leading influencer in the viral #MomTok community on TikTok, a group of Utah women who share clips of their lives online.
She has also starred in four seasons of the Hulu reality show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” filmed in Utah, which has chronicled her on-again, off-again relationship with Mortensen.
“It’s been a heavy time to see the headlines,” Paul said on “Good Morning America” ahead of “The Bachelorette” premiere on Sunday. “It’s supposed to be a really exciting time.”
“I’m a person that will always speak my truth. That’s what I’m known for. So when the time is right, I will be,” she added. “But right now (I’m) just trying to be in the present moment ... but the thing is my kids do come first.”
Paul is a mother of three and shares one child, Ever, with Mortensen.
A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed to People that there is an open “domestic assault investigation” involving Paul and Mortensen, and that “allegations have been made in both directions.” The police spokesperson also said that “contact was made with involved parties on (Feb.) 24th and 25th.”
In response to questions about the investigation, the police told ABC News, ”The Draper Police Department respects the rights and privacy of all citizens. Without an immediate impact to public safety, it is the practice of the department not to release details related to active investigations."
The ongoing investigation has put filming for the fifth season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” on hold and will remain paused for the foreseeable future.
Paul told “Good Morning America” it was “hard to say” what her future on the reality series will look like.
“It’s hard to see past this, I’m not going to lie. In this moment, it’s just so heavy,” she continued. “When your life is broadcasted out there in these headlines, it’s like the end of the world. That’s what it feels like.”
A representative for Mortensen, Paul’s ex-boyfriend who is also involved in the domestic abuse allegations, responded to reports of the ongoing investigation on Wednesday.
“His No. 1 priority here is protecting (their 2-year-old son), Ever,” his representative shared in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. “He knew there was a possibility it could come out, but he was not going to be the one to proactively do that because he has always wanted a decent relationship with Taylor. It’s been really hard to achieve that, but he wants to co-parent well.”
Paul was charged in 2023 with aggravated assault and two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child.
In February 2023, Herriman, Utah, police responded to a call to Paul’s home on a report of domestic violence. According to charging documents, Paul and her then-boyfriend, Mortensen, were arguing when she threw her phone, a wooden play set and metal barstools at him.
One of the barstools she threw created a hole in the wall and another struck her 5-year-old daughter, who was seated next to Mortensen on the couch.
Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in exchange for the dismissal of her domestic violence charges.