The &34;Secret Lives of Mormon Wives&34; star has been at the center of a media firestorm since Monday. Taylor Frankie Paul breaks her silence after ABC cancels her season of The Bachelorette The &34;Secret Lives of Mormon Wives&34; star has been at the center of a media firestorm since Monday. By Shania Russell :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/ShaniaRussellauthorphoto5934b684845d480caa4485648c39ef2b.jpg) Shania Russell Shania Russell is a news writer at , with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

The "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star has been at the center of a media firestorm since Monday.

Taylor Frankie Paul breaks her silence after ABC cancels her season of *The Bachelorette *

The "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star has been at the center of a media firestorm since Monday.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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March 19, 2026 5:47 p.m. ET

Taylor Frankie Paul on 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives'. Credit:

Fred Hayes/Disney via Getty

Taylor Frankie Paul is speaking out after her season of *The Bachelorette* was canceled at ABC just days before it was slated to premiere.

"Taylor is very grateful for ABC's support as she prioritizes her family's safety and security," a representative for the reality star said in a statement to **. "After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm."

The statement continued, "There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives. Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story."

Paul, who rose to fame on *The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives*, has been at the center of a media firestorm since Monday, when news broke that production on the fifth season of the show was halted as police investigated an alleged incident between Paul and her ex Dakota Mortensen. The situation escalated after a video connected to a previous alleged domestic violence incident between the former couple was leaked to the public.

ABC announced subsequently announced that Paul's season of *The Bachelorette* will no longer air as planned.

Taylor Frankie Paul on 'The Bachelorette'.

Michael Kirchoff/Disney

On Monday, news broke that production on *The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives* — which has documented Paul and Mortensen's rocky relationship since its 2024 premiere — was halted as police investigated an alleged incident between the pair. The Draper City Police Department has opted not to comment on the details, but did confirm that officers made contact with both parties "on [Feb.] 24th and 25th." (Mortensen has since filed for a restraining order Paul, per *People *and TMZ. EW is out for comment to both parties. A hearing has reportedly been set for April 7.)

Paul and Mortensen's relationship previously made headlines in 2023 when she was arrested in connection to a domestic incident. She pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault. As part of her plea deal, Paul was placed on three years' probation, which ends in August, and prosecutors dropped the other charges, including domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse, and criminal mischief.

On Thursday, TMZ published footage from said altercation, in which Paul could be seen throwing a chair at her then-boyfriend in the presence of her oldest child. (Paul shares two kids with her ex-husband Tate Paul.)

At one point in the footage, Paul tries to put Mortensen in a headlock, attempts to kick him, and hurls a metal barstool at him. Paul's daughter begins crying as her mother yells at Mortensen that he "did this." Mortensen responds by saying,"You're doing this to yourself."

Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen.

Disney/Fred Hayes

On Thursday, a representative for Paul indicated that Mortensen was responsible for the leaked footage in a statement to EW.

"It's sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child," Paul's rep said of the 2023 footage. "Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son's birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences."

Earlier this week, a source close to Mortensen denied the implication that he was the reason the situation was made public. "His number one priority here is protecting [their 2-year-old son], Ever. "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."

*If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at **1-800-799-7233**, or go to **thehotline.org**. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.*

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Published: March 20, 2026 at 06:57AM on Source: PRIME TIME

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