“The best way I can describe it is, it’s an addiction,” says Taylor Frankie Paul. The star of *The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives* is seated by a window in an empty Starbucks within a downtown Salt Lake City hotel, reflecting on her relationship troubles in an interview on Feb. 19.
Followers of Paul’s screen life are all too familiar with the drama. Now, others can’t escape knowing about it too. Days later, a dispute with her on-again, off-again partner would lead to a police investigation that surfaced in multiple news reports this week. Then, on Thursday, the release of a video recording of a separate dispute from 2023 led to a pause on *The Bachelorette*, her latest starring role on reality TV, just three days before the show was set to premiere.
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### From #MomTok to Reality Fame
Paul’s brush with fame began with #MomTok, as the self-proclaimed founder of the Utah-based group of Mormon moms. This group spawned a corner of TikTok where members shared choreographed dance videos and light lifestyle content. But in 2022, Paul rose to notoriety after revealing in a TikTok Live session details about an arrangement she had with her then-husband, Tate Paul. They had agreed to pursue intimate relations with other consenting couples—without having extramarital sex. However, she confessed to violating their agreement by having an emotional affair.
This salacious revelation, dubbed the “soft-swinging” scandal, lit up social media and eventually inspired Hulu’s breakout hit *The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives*.
Much of Paul’s story across the show’s four seasons has revolved around her rocky relationship with Dakota Mortensen, the man she began dating following her divorce. Even as the show documented the lead-up to Paul becoming the new face of *The Bachelorette*, her biggest screen opportunity yet, the pair’s on-again, off-again dynamic remained turbulent and confusing—lasting right up to the *Mormon Wives* season finale.
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### Turmoil Amid Stardom
A despondent Paul nearly upended the start of production on ABC’s dating series when she missed her flight to Los Angeles after sleeping with Mortensen—the father of her youngest son, Ever—the night prior. (She eventually took a later flight.)
“I was just still stuck in the cycle,” she says, noting she hasn’t watched the *Mormon Wives* finale. “That’s why I knew I had to leave [to do ‘The Bachelorette’], if that makes sense. I can’t help people understand it because my own brain doesn’t understand it. The only thing I can relate it to is, it is a drug; the toxicity is a drug. It’s always a mind game and I fall for it every time, and I cave and it’s just so dumb. I get exhausted saying it to people because I’m like, ‘I don’t blame you guys. I’m mad at me.’”
The hook of a 31-year-old mother of three trying to find love who unapologetically wears her troubles on her sleeve was supposed to make her a desirable candidate for the latest crossover experiment in Disney’s reality TV universe.
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### Investigation and Show Pause
In the week leading up to Sunday’s Season 22 premiere of *The Bachelorette*, reports surfaced detailing allegations of domestic violence involving Paul and Mortensen. Utah’s Draper City Police Department confirmed an open investigation involving the pair but declined to share further details amid the ongoing inquiry.
According to a person familiar with the situation, allegations were made by both parties regarding incidents on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25—less than a week after our interview. No charges have been filed in connection to this case.
Paul was previously arrested and charged in 2023 for a separate dispute involving Mortensen, eventually pleading guilty to one count of aggravated assault; other charges were dropped. Part of that earlier incident was documented in the first season of *Mormon Wives*.
On Thursday, TMZ published a video of the 2023 incident, prompting Disney Entertainment Television to pause the planned premiere of *The Bachelorette*.
“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,” the statement from Disney read.
Whether the season will be released later or re-edited remains unknown, according to a source familiar with the matter.
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### Statements from Paul and Producers
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” read a statement from Paul’s representative. The statement added that Paul suffered “extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation.”
While Season 5 of *The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives* began production in January, cameras were not following Paul during the recent incidents; she was focused on publicity commitments for *The Bachelorette*.
Hulu and ABC declined to comment on the ongoing investigation. Mortensen could not be reached for comment.
Production on *Mormon Wives* is currently on pause, and a decision about Paul’s status as a cast member has not been made, according to a person briefed on the situation.
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### The Impact on Both Shows
Paul’s chaotic reality now casts a shadow on both *The Bachelorette* and *Mormon Wives*. The programming experiment aimed at blending the audiences of ABC’s veteran dating series and Hulu’s emerging “Real Housewives” alternative has become an example of how rapid expansion and crossover success can backfire.
The situation also highlights the ongoing discourse around vetting failures and oversights in reality TV, as well as the voyeuristic nature of viewers attracted to this genre’s often sordid personal drama.
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### How the ‘Mormon Wives’ Crossover Took Shape
As traditional television faces steep challenges due to changing viewing habits influenced by streaming and social media, Disney has been blurring the lines between its linear and streaming properties ABC and Hulu to maximize reach.
*Mormon Wives*, which has released four seasons in less than two years, has become a key asset in this strategy.
Earlier this year, two cast members, Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt, competed against each other on *Dancing With the Stars* (DWTS). Paul’s casting as *The Bachelorette* made her the first heroine who was not a contestant on a previous *Bachelor* season.
Before the reports about Paul surfaced, The Times spoke with Robert Mills, head of Walt Disney Television Alternative, and show producers about efforts to collaborate within the company’s broadcasting universe. This approach rewards viewer curiosity and differentiates the company from competitors by building Hulu’s unscripted slate.
Mills recalled that talks of crossovers began even before *Mormon Wives* launch, with producers envisioning cast members appearing on DWTS to coincide with the show’s arrival.
“When the show took off, then it became, ‘OK, now we know we’re doing it,’” Mills said.
Having cast members compete on DWTS added curiosity for audiences of both shows. Adding the journey’s narrative into *The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives* enhanced the viewing experience. Two *Mormon Wives* cast members competing in the same DWTS season heightened this dynamic.
The casting process was featured in Season 3 of *Mormon Wives*, including their pitch to ABC executives. Their DWTS journey, including relocating families to Los Angeles and their falling out, was part of Season 4.
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### Corporate Synergy and Challenges
Corporate synergy within the Disney portfolio is nothing new. *Dancing With the Stars* regularly features Disney-themed episodes and has hosted *Bachelor* franchise stars before. Navigating intertwined storylines requires coordination.
“We basically carved out times where they [the ‘Mormon Wives’ crew] could film rehearsals and we always had a producer present just in case something happened that was dramatically important for our show,” said Conrad Green, showrunner of DWTS.
“It’s like a gentleman’s agreement—we’re borrowing talent off another show so we have to work together, and it works for everyone’s benefit.”
Mills noted that spin-offs and further expansion conversations were ongoing with *Mormon Wives* as of the interview.
The crossover strategy became a key feature of the show’s identity, featuring other Hulu series like *Vanderpump Villa*, where cast members and spouses engaged in shared storylines full of drama.
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### A New Direction for *The Bachelor* Franchise
Paul’s casting on *The Bachelor* universe continues an effort to revamp the long-running franchise, which has seen milestones like its first Black male lead in 2021 and a senior citizen dating spin-off, *Golden Bachelor*, last year.
After Paul posted a tongue-in-cheek TikTok in June 2025 announcing her “bid” as a single mother looking for love, Disney’s publicity department took notice, sparking discussions about her potential role.
Showrunner Scott Teti did his homework before agreeing.
“Of course, I had heard of her—it’s hard not to hear that name,” he said. “But I had to familiarize myself with it because I hadn’t watched her show. Instantly, you realize how honest and truthful she is, almost to a fault. Although she’s unrelatable in many ways due to media and social media attention, she has a layered story that I think is very relatable to many people—a single mother who hasn’t found relationship success but still wants to find love.”
Teti added that although Paul was a “fish out of water” on the first night, she showed vulnerability that made the season compelling.
“That is why this season is so big, and there are so many pivotal points in the season that will leave you on the edge of your seat.”
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### Behind the Scenes with Paul
When we met, Paul was dressed casually in beige lounge pants and an oversized mushroom-adorned T-shirt. Despite a sluggish demeanor as she navigated her schedule between *Mormon Wives* Season 4 and *The Bachelorette*, she remained affable.
She shared TikTok videos expressing her current mental state, illustrating her emotional challenges.
No stranger to viral success, Paul views the show crossovers as “genius marketing,” while acknowledging potential risks to the #MomTok community.
“I think it’s really cool to see all the different opportunities you can venture off into,” she said. “The con is that with all these opportunities, it kind of spreads us apart. We’re doing our own thing. It could break friendships. You get envious. You get competitive.”
As the cast’s fame grows—inside and outside Disney—showrunner Andrea Metz says the key to keeping the series interesting is to incorporate these moments openly rather than pretending they don’t exist.
“We have not shied away from breaking the fourth wall,” Metz said. “We have not shied away from talking about what is really happening with them. I think people like that. The trajectory of their fame and their stars rising has been very quick, but it’s also been really exciting.”
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### Was She Ready for ‘The Bachelorette’?
The power and unity of #MomTok has become a concern each season as personal conflicts make headlines. Even before recent allegations emerged, Paul’s entanglement with Mortensen caused some viewers to question whether she approached *The Bachelorette* seriously.
The break between wrapping *Mormon Wives* and starting *The Bachelorette* filming was just one day.
Paul admits she wasn’t sure if she was ready.
“I might not have been ready, but ready is a decision—just do it,” she said. “It was like a rehab, almost. It’s full detox. I had no contact—no world where it happens with the co-parent. Whether or not I was ready, it was what I so needed, at the very least to just get away from it. And I wanted to find someone and love.”
*The Bachelorette* became one of her hardest yet most rewarding experiences.
“I have my kids back home. I’m not just here looking for me. The emotional exhaustion was a lot. I’m dating 20-something guys. I am putting my all into one conversation after another, every single day, all day. Your brain is just kind of fried.”
When asked whether she feels like the show helped break the cycle she had with Mortensen, she said:
“Yeah, I feel like it helped. Obviously, things were within the process of the show; I can’t speak on it yet. But you’ll see it all unravel.”
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Taylor Frankie Paul’s story is one of complexity, vulnerability, and the unpredictable nature of reality TV fame—where real-life struggles frequently collide with on-screen drama.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-19/taylor-frankie-paul-bachelorette-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-crossover