Following her alleged 2023 attack on her then-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, Taylor Frankie Paul claimed she didn’t remember much. When she confessed that she’d been drinking vodka prior to the fight, her counselor labeled her a “problem drinker.”
As part of her 2023 criminal case, a substance abuse and mental health assessment was filed. Her counselor described the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star as being punctual, as well as “smiling and friendly.” In addition, she was cooperative and willing to discuss “the event that brought her in for the assessment.”
Though she denied any past or present drug use, Taylor scored as an “intermediate problem drinker” on an alcohol screening test.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is back in the headlines
According to TMZ, Taylor told her counselor she’d felt guilty about her divorce “ruining” her family. So during a girls’ night at a friend’s home, she drank vodka, after not drinking for three months.
After calling Dakota to come pick her up, she got more upset and started crying in the car. She confessed she didn’t remember much after she got home.
At the time, Dakota told arresting officers that Taylor had hit him and threw objects at him, including a phone and a child’s wooden playset. Furthermore, Dakota claimed Taylor threw “heavy, metal chairs” at him. Not only was he afraid for himself, but one of her children was nearby and he worried about the child’s safety.
In their report, officers said they noticed redness and swelling on Dakota. A video of the incident showed the Season 22 Bachelorette kicking and hitting him several times. She also managed to get him into a chokehold.
Ultimately, the counselor decided Taylor should attend a parenting class, as well as a class on alcohol. After most of the charges were dropped, Taylor pled guilty to aggravated assault.
Until now, she had been fulfilling all the terms of her probation, which was scheduled to end in August 2026. In the meantime, Dakota just wants an amicable relationship with the mother of his two-year-old son, Ever.
The Bachelorette Season 22 premieres on March 22 at 8/7c on ABC. It streams on Disney+ the following day. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 4 is now streaming on Hulu.
TELL US – HOW DO YOU THINK TAYLOR’S ISSUES WILL AFFECT THE NEW SEASON OF THE BACHELORETTE? WILL YOU BE WATCHING?
