Credit: Alamy
Authorities Issue Update On The Bachelorette Star Taylor Frankie Paul Following Shocking Leaked Footage
Authorities have issued an update on the Bachelorette star, Taylor Frankie Paul, following the leaked footage scandal.
She was supposed to be America‘s sweetheart. Just weeks ago, Taylor Frankie Paul was everywhere — gracing red carpets, appearing on Good Morning America, and gearing up to become the first-ever Bachelorette who had never competed on The Bachelor.
It was meant to be the crowning moment of a remarkable rise from Utah mommy blogger to mainstream TV star.
Instead, the 32-year-old finds herself at the center of a rapidly expanding legal storm that has cost her a primetime TV slot, halted two reality shows, and placed her family life under intense scrutiny.
And now, new details have emerged that paint an even more alarming picture of the events that started it all.
The woman who built MomTok
To understand how Taylor Frankie Paul ended up here, you have to go back to the beginning. Around 2020, Paul was one of the founding figures of MomTok — a loosely connected community of young Latter-day Saint mothers in Utah who made cheerful, relatable content on TikTok about motherhood, faith, and everyday life.
Alongside Whitney Leavitt, Mayci Neeley, and Mikayla Matthews, she helped build something that resonated with millions.
Then, in May 2022, everything changed. Paul announced her divorce from husband Tate Paul, and days later, on a TikTok Live, she dropped a bombshell: she and her husband had been part of a ‘soft swinging’ arrangement with other MomTok members, per the LA Times.
She had broken the group’s rules by meeting with a partner outside of the agreed boundaries, she said, contributing to the breakdown of her marriage. The internet exploded.
That scandal became the foundation of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, a Hulu reality series that premiered in September 2024 and became the platform’s most-watched unscripted season premiere of the year. Paul was its undisputed star.
A relationship that would define her story
Amid the upheaval of her divorce, Paul began a relationship with Dakota Mortensen, a fellow TikToker who would go on to appear alongside her on Mormon Wives.
Their relationship was turbulent from the start — and in February 2023, it resulted in Paul’s arrest.
According to court records per the BBC, Mortensen called police claiming Paul had begun hitting him during a fight at her Utah home, with her two minor children present.
Court documents state that she kicked him, put him in a chokehold, and threw heavy metal chairs in his direction, one of which reportedly hit her then 5-year-old daughter.
Paul was charged with one felony count of aggravated assault, two felony counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, and one misdemeanor count each of child abuse and criminal mischief.
She later entered a plea in abeyance to the aggravated assault charge, meaning the felony would be reduced to a misdemeanor after three years if she met the terms of her probation. The remaining four charges were dismissed.
The arrest was filmed, and bodycam footage was incorporated into the very first episode of Mormon Wives — a bold editorial decision that framed the show’s entire first season.
Crashing down
Despite her legal history, Paul’s star continued to rise. In September 2025, she announced on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast that she had been cast as the new Bachelorette — a historic first, as she had never appeared on The Bachelor.
Seasons two, three, and four of Mormon Wives continued to air. She walked red carpets. She attended the Oscars just weeks ago.
Then, in late February 2026, the Draper City Police Department confirmed an open domestic assault investigation involving Paul and Mortensen, with allegations reportedly coming from both sides, NBC reports.
Filming for Season 5 of Mormon Wives was paused as the new investigation became public.
The situation escalated dramatically on March 19, when TMZ published previously unseen footage of the 2023 altercation.
The footage showed Paul throwing barstools at Mortensen as her then 5-year-old daughter cried. The video sent shockwaves across the entertainment world.
ABC’s response was swift. The network announced that Paul’s season of the show was canceled on March 19, just three days before the premiere.
A Disney spokesperson said the decision was made ‘in light of the newly released video just surfaced today.’
Paul had appeared on Good Morning America just the day before to promote the series, saying the headlines had made it ‘a heavy time’ and that it was ‘supposed to be a really exciting time.’
A family torn apart
The fallout didn’t stop there. The West Jordan, Utah Police Department began investigating a third alleged domestic violence incident between Paul and Mortensen, stemming from a 2024 event.
Mortensen had contacted the department with his allegations, and police said they were reviewing multiple videos connected to the alleged event to figure out details and timelines.
Mortensen was granted temporary custody of Ever, his 2-year-old son with Paul, with Paul denied visitation until a protective order hearing on April 7.
Meanwhile, Mortensen filed for a restraining order against Paul, alleging that she had choked him the previous month in the presence of their son.
Paul’s representatives have pushed back firmly, saying the leaked video ‘conveniently omits context’ and characterizing Mortensen’s actions as a ‘never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign.’
Her team has also described her as having ‘silently suffered extensive mental and physical abuse’ over the years, and said she was ‘preparing to own and share her story.’
Mortensen, for his part, has categorically denied her allegations, stating simply: “I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same.”
Inside the Mormon Wives world, the atmosphere has reportedly soured. An insider close to the cast told People that the other women were distancing themselves from Paul, with none of them wanting to be associated with her. “The girls are very overwhelmed,” the source added. “They all banded together and they don’t want to come back right now.”
Costar Jessi Draper, however, offered a more compassionate perspective. Speaking on Call Her Daddy, she said through tears that the video was “so hard” to watch, but defended Paul’s fundamental character. “Taylor is such a good person, and she’s made some mistakes,” she said, calling it a “really bad cycle” and expressing hope that the situation would serve as a wake-up call for everyone involved.
New 911 call details emerge
As if the situation couldn’t become more distressing, authorities have now released a chilling new piece of the puzzle — a 911 call made by Paul’s neighbor on the night of the 2023 incident that preceded her arrest, Page Six reports.
The neighbor told emergency operators that she could hear screaming and what sounded like a domestic violence situation.
“First, there’s like domestic violence; somebody is screaming, ‘Get off me.’ There is a woman screaming,” the neighbor told the operator. “The garage door keeps opening and shutting. It sounds like she’s trying to get out.”
The neighbor continued to describe events unfolding in real time, saying it sounded like someone was leaving the property.
“Somebody’s getting in the truck,” she told the operator. “So, it looks like the lady who was screaming might be leaving right now.” Moments later, she updated: the woman had not left and had gone back inside.
The neighbor added that she did not hear any weapons or signs of drinking, and noted that she believed Paul shared custody of her children with her ex-husband, expressing concern about whether the children were present.
The individual told operators she didn’t want Paul and Mortensen to know she was the one who had called the police.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, available 24/7 in more than 170 languages, or visit thehotline.org.
Related Article: Snooki Reveals Heartbreaking Cancer Diagnosis
Related Article: Britney Spears Reveals Who She Really Lost Her Virginity To After Lying About It For 30 Years
Want more stuff like this?
Get the best viral stories straight into your inbox!
