#MomTok Might Not Survive Taylor Frankie Paul’s Season of ‘The Bachelorette’ Getting Canceled 

Bachelorette-to-be Taylor Frankie Paul was in hot water this week after news broke that The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 5 filming had been halted due to a “domestic assault” investigation between Paul and ex, Dakota Mortenson, in which charges were filed on both sides—as well as some “pretty serious stuff” being unearthed from Paul’s past, according to People. Regardless, Paul continued on with Bachelorette press, walking the Oscars red carpet and appearing on Good Morning America, while sticking to the script that her number one priority was her and Mortenson’s one-year-old son, Ever.

However, on Thursday, ABC officially pulled the plug on Paul’s The Bachelorette after a video was sent to TMZ, aka was likely leaked, of the incident that led to Paul’s 2023 arrest. In the video, Paul hits and screams at Mortenson and throws several metal barstools at him, which led to charges of misdemeanor assault, criminal mischief, and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child. Paul’s then-five-year-old daughter was in the room and could be heard crying in the video, with Mortenson repeatedly telling Paul to take care of her. The case was eventually settled, and the charges against Paul were dropped.

A Disney Entertainment spokesperson told TMZ, “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”

The incident has been public knowledge since it was addressed and partially shown in the first season of Mormon Wives. So, as disturbing as the video is, it is suspicious that it’s surfaced days before the first episode of The Bachelorette was set to premiere. On Tuesday, Mortensen filed a restraining order against Paul and is seeking sole custody of their son. 

The majority of Mormon Wives Season 4, which premiered on Friday, was focused on getting Paul ready for the Bachelorette, but Mortenson remained an ongoing obstacle—that or it just made for good television. It all culminated in the Season 4 finale, in which Paul spends one last night with Dakota before leaving for the villa, much to the horror of fellow #MomTok moms Jessi, Mayci, Mikayla, and Layla. 

A spokesperson for Paul said in a statement:

Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security. 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.

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.

A source connected to The Bachelorette told TMZ that no one at ABC had seen the video until Thursday, though everyone was clearly aware of the incident. So The Bachelorette is dead. Mormon Wives has been halted and is definitely at risk of cancellation. Members of MomTok were already distancing themselves from Paul after the news broke on Monday. #MomTok might not survive this—which is probably good. It’s time to put the cameras down and go to therapy.

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