Taylor Frankie Paul's season of 'The Bachelorette' has officially been canceled before it began. Here's what happened.

• Taylor Frankie Paul is the star of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" and was set to lead "The Bachelorette."
• Reports surfaced alleging a domestic violence incident between Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen.
• A spokesperson for Disney Entertainment Television confirmed Paul's season will not air.

In Mormon Utah, all hell has broken loose.

A week before her much-hyped new season of "The Bachelorette" was set to premiere on ABC, reports surfaced that star Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, were involved in an alleged domestic violence incident.

The Draper City Police Department confirmed to Business Insider Wednesday that there is an open investigation involving Paul and Mortensen stemming from an incident that happened in February but declined to provide further details. The department told People that accusations "have been made in both directions."

Now, just three days before the Sunday premiere, a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that the season will not be airing "in light of the newly released video just surfaced today," referring to a video from a previous domestic violence incident between Paul and Mortensen that occurred in 2023.

Paul, a TikTok star and cast member of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," was named as the newest Bachelorette in September 2025, stunning the fandom as the first person from outside the franchise to be cast in the role.

At the time, the move was praised as savvy corporate synergy: "Mormon Wives," which airs on Hulu, and "The Bachelorette," which airs on ABC, share a parent company in Disney, and the former has been a runaway ratings success for Hulu. But that business decision backfired with the latest media firestorm surrounding Paul, as brands began cutting ties with Paul and "The Bachelorette" and filming for season five of "Mormon Wives" was put on pause.

Here's what to know about Paul, Mortensen, and the demise of Paul's season of "The Bachelorette."

Who are Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen?

Paul and Mortensen are cast members on Hulu's reality TV series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," which follows a group of Mormon (and ex-Mormon) social media personalities who nicknamed themselves MomTok.

The show kick-started in the aftermath of Paul admitting on her TikTok to "soft swinging" with friends in May 2022, which led to the end of her marriage to her ex-husband, Tate Paul. They share two children.

After the scandal, Paul began dating Mortensen, who made his debut on her TikTok in July 2022. Since then, they've been involved in a rocky off-and-on relationship that's been documented over four seasons of "Mormon Wives."

Paul was arrested in February 2023

As depicted in the first episode of "Mormon Wives," police were called to Paul's home due to a "reported incident of domestic violence" after an argument between Paul and Mortensen. The police bodycam footage was shown during the episode.

A video of this fight was leaked to TMZ in March 2026.

Per The Salt Lake Tribune, Paul was later 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.

Paul entered a plea of abeyance — essentially no contest — to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault and was told that if she abided by the terms of the agreement for three years, it would be downgraded to a misdemeanor. The other charges were dismissed with prejudice, according to People.

During an appearance on "Call Her Daddy" in 2025, Paul said the charges had been dropped.

Mortensen and Paul stayed together and had a child in March 2024

A little over a year after the incident, Paul gave birth to their son, Ever, in March 2024.

However, as viewers saw on "Mormon Wives," both Paul and Mortensen admitted their relationship could be toxic and volatile. Throughout seasons two, three, and four, Paul and Mortensen fought, broke up, and got back together.

Both Mortensen and Paul's friends, family, and fans hoped that when Paul was cast as the new Bachelorette in September 2025, the cycle would finally end.

Paul and Mortensen were fighting up until the night before she left for 'The Bachelorette' in October 2025

Season four of "Mormon Wives" was filmed up until the day Paul left to appear on "The Bachelorette." In the lead-up to the finale, viewers saw other members of MomTok express hope that "The Bachelorette" would be the best way for Paul and Mortensen to finally move on and let go of each other.

Instead, "Mormon Wives" reveals at the end of season four that Paul and Mortensen slept together the night before she left, and the two said they loved each other.

Days before Paul's 'Bachelorette' season debuted, reports of another alleged domestic violence incident hit the internet

People reported on Monday, March 16 that filming for season five of "Mormon Wives" had been halted. Hulu did not respond to a request for comment, though one of the cast members, Mikayla Matthews, confirmed the pause on her Instagram story.

"It was a decision that all us girls came up with and agreed on. We didn't feel comfortable filming with everything that was happening," she wrote.

A spokesperson for Utah's Draper City Police Department confirmed to Business Insider that there is an open investigation involving Paul and Mortensen but declined to provide further details.

After the news broke, Paul described the situation to People as "heavy" and "unfortunate."

"I feel like every premiere that I've experienced, I've never enjoyed fully, so this is another one," she said. "It's extremely hard, and it took everything to get me here today."

When reached for comment about the investigation, a rep for Mortensen told Entertainment Weekly that his No. 1 priority is to protect Ever, the son he shares with Paul.

"He has always wanted a decent relationship with Taylor," the rep said of Mortensen. "It's been really hard to achieve that, but he wants to co-parent well."

Paul also told Entertainment Weekly on March 17 that she had cut off contact with Mortensen before this news broke. "I actually took action about a few weeks ago. I'm just doing third-party everything — pick-up, drop-offs, communication — so no contact right now for me," she said.

On March 19, a video of the 2023 incident seemingly recorded by Mortensen hit the internet, first published by TMZ. In it, Paul is seen throwing a chair and a bar stool at Mortensen while her daughter is nearby.

After the video surfaced, Paul's planned appearance on "The Tonight Show" was canceled, and a rep for Paul issued this statement to People:

"It's sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child. Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son's birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior," the rep said.

"Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences."

On March 19, ABC officially pulled 'The Bachelorette' from the schedule

A spokesperson for Disney Entertainment Television confirmed to Business Insider that ABC will "not move forward with the new season of 'The Bachelorette' at this time," adding that their "focus is on supporting the family."

A representative for Paul told People that she is "very grateful for ABC's support as she prioritizes her family's safety and security," and said that she has been "silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation."

"She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story," Paul's rep added.

In a statement to Business Insider, Mortensen responded to the news:

"As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation. I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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