Earlier this week, multiple sources reported The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives had paused filming after an altercation between Taylor Frankie Paul and the father of her youngest child, Dakota Mortensen. Details of the incident remain unclear, but police told People there is an open “domestic assault investigation” involving Paul and Mortensen and that “allegations have been made in both directions.” The reports came one week before Paul’s starring season on The Bachelorette is scheduled to begin. Ahead of the premiere, Cinnabon told Entertainment Weekly that it was ending its collaboration with both The Bachelorette and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives because “recent developments and allegations surrounding the lead cast member led us to reassess this collaboration as it no longer aligns with our brand values.”
Paul addressed all this news on Tuesday, telling People this is a “heavy time” for her. “Honestly, just like, my heart hurts to see it, to go through it, especially at this time,” Paul said. “Just the timing is hard, and it’s a big deal.” Still, she is doing her best not to let it overshadow her Bachelorette debut. “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,” she said, adding that she’s “struggling for sure,” but “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.”
Also on Tuesday, Paul told Entertainment Weekly that she and Mortensen had gone “no contact” and were coordinating pickups and drop-offs of their son through a third party. “I didn’t want to bring anything to the public eye, making it a bigger deal for the sake of my son, and just everything about to come out. But that wasn’t the plan for him,” she said.
Taylor Frankie Paul responds to recent headlines about an alleged domestic violence incident with her ex-boyfriend, the future of “The Secret Lives of “Mormon Wives” and what fans can expect from this season of “The Bachelorette.” pic.twitter.com/naOAKPf5lu
— Good Morning America (@GMA) March 18, 2026
On Wednesday, Paul made an appearance on Good Morning America during which she again spoke about how “heavy” it felt to be in the news this way when her Bachelorette season is about to start. She confirmed that The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives had paused filming but said she “didn’t know for how long and why.” “Honestly, it’s been a heavy time to see the headlines, especially during this time of The Bachelorette being released — it’s supposed to be a really exciting time,” Paul said. She added that she would “speak my truth” when “the time is right” but is currently “just trying to be in the present moment and focus on this.”
“When your life is broadcasted out there in these headlines, it’s like the end of the world — that’s what it feels like, I’m not going to lie,” she said. “But I will say, I’ve been here before, and I got through it and shared my story … so I’m hoping I can do that again.”
Mortensen also responded to the reports on Wednesday. In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, a rep for him said his “number one priority here is protecting [their 2-year-old son] Ever.” The rep denied rumors that Mortensen took the investigation public himself. “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,” the rep said.
According to the rep, Mortensen had been keeping quiet, hoping the matter would go away on its own. “He was just hoping that if he says nothing, as he usually does, it would go away. He’s never done any kind of sit-down interview about his side,” the rep said. “He kind of just lets it all happen to him, and I think he realizes with the severity of everything now that he just can’t do that.”
The Cut has reached out to Mortensen, the police, and ABC and will update this post if we hear back.
This post has been updated.
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