As hard as they tried to make it work, Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen just couldn’t live happily ever after. Dakota’s repeated cheating on her finally forced the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star to end their relationship. Though they continue to co-parent their son together, Taylor’s definitely moved on.
On September 10, ABC announced that Taylor will be the next Bachelorette. As the news broke, fans wondered how Dakota would respond to his former girlfriend romancing 25 hot guys on TV.
Now that the suspense is over, Dakota breaks his silence with a cryptic post to his Instagram Stories.
Dakota Mortensen posted about “curveballs” following Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette news
In his Instagram photo, Dakota propped his head on one hand wearing a classic thousand-yard stare. “Had so many curveballs today and every time I am always reminded there is nothing more important than God and family,” he wrote. “Life is to [sic] short.”
When Taylor was revealed to be the Season 22 Bachelorette, fans noticed that the casting was a first for the franchise. ABC had never before cast a reality star from another show. And not just another show; Taylor stars in another ABC show. She’s practically her own spinoff!
When she made the announcement on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Taylor admitted she hadn’t yet told Dakota the news. After predicting that the father of her one-year-old son Ever True would be “sad,” Taylor shared that Dakota would most likely watch the show. “I think he’s always watching,” she said.
Taylor and Dakota’s relationship was up and down, until she finally found the strength to end things with him. Breaking up with her baby daddy was tough for her emotionally, as she still loved him. But she could no longer accept his constant lies and infidelity.
“That was a hard pill to swallow,” she confessed. “There was no pain like it. One of the hardest summers I’ve ever had.”
Prior to dating Dakota, Taylor was previously married to Tate Paul and shares two children with him. The former couple co-parent daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5.
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.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK TAYLOR WILL MAKE A GOOD BACHELORETTE? WILL SHE FINALLY FIND HER LASTING LOVE?
