Trigger Warning: This article contains a discussion of domestic violence allegations.
The next Bachelorette has a past, and she’s not afraid to talk about it. Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul will be stepping into the leading role of the long-running dating series. She made the announcement during an interview with Alex Cooper on Call Her Daddy, and during their chat, she got extremely candid about her experience being arrested on domestic violence charges.
Taylor Frankie Paul got real discussing her domestic violence arrest
The SLOMW star went to jail in 2023 following an explosive argument with her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. Allegedly, Taylor threw a chair at him and accidentally hit her daughter. The Hulu series showed the bodycam footage of the arrest, in addition to the moment Taylor walked out of jail.
Taylor received misdemeanor charges of assault, criminal mischief, and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child, per a report from CBS. It was a troubling moment. But when discussing the incident on Call Her Daddy, Taylor spoke from a place of self-reflection and gratitude.
“After the arrest, I was under so much stress. I was filmed leaving the jail, and then that was immediately on the internet,” Taylor recalled. “It was a blessing in disguise. It helped me wake up.”
With that said, Taylor said she still gets a “lump” in her throat talking about “such a hard time” in her life. Coming off the heels of her 2022 divorce, she said she was feeling “lost” in life and didn’t have the “tools” to navigate those feelings.
“I did have a lot of time of grieving and loss that I don’t want any more wasted time for my kids,” she said. “They’re only small for so long. So that is a hard topic, and just due to the, you know, what we all know about it. But that was, yeah, one of my lowest nights on freaking TV, and it’s embarrassing.”
Ultimately, Taylor said the courts dropped all of the charges, and she sees the situation as a learning lesson. As she prepares to dive headfirst into The Bachelorette, this felt like an important moment of clarity.
“I never had hurt my daughter. I never intentionally did anything with my children,” Taylor reiterated.
The Bachelorette Season 22 will air on ABC in 2026. Plus, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives returns for Season 3 on Hulu on November 13, 2025.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
TELL US – WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON TAYLOR’S CALL HER DADDY INTERVIEW? WILL SHE MAKE A GOOD BACHELORETTE?
