What happened to ‘The Bachelorette’ and Taylor Frankie Paul? Here’s a timeline.
ABC canceled the influencer’s season of “The Bachelorette” following the release of a 2023 video.
(Pamela Littky | Disney) Taylor Frankie Paul, the founder of MomTok has spent the last six years in the pop culture spotlight.
ABC has pulled Utah influencer Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” just days before it was set to air. Here’s a look back at how she stepped into the limelight of pop culture and the reports that led to her show being canceled.
2020-2021
Paul breaks out on TikTok as the leader of MomTok — a collaborative hub of moms-turned-influencers from Utah who post videos about dancing, lifestyle and motherhood on the social media platform. Paul continues to post on TikTok alongside MomTok, but also creates videos in which she jokes that her house is haunted and later on washing her hair after multiple days. 2022
MomTok continues to create content, and the Utah couples involved get closer, and play into Utah stereotypes that commenters on TikTok ask about, like if all the women are sister wives. Paul, on a TikTok live stream, reveals that her friend group was “soft swinging” and that she is getting a divorce from her then-husband, with whom she shares two children. This video blows up the MomTok group and puts a national spotlight on the Utah creators in a brand new way. Shortly after that, she first meets Dakota Mortensen, her on-and-off-again boyfriend. 2023
Just when the MomTok drama dies down, Paul and other moms in the content creator group start filming the first season of their reality television show “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” on Hulu. The first season tackles the fallout after Paul’s bombshell livestream.In March, Paul is charged with felony counts of domestic violence and aggravated assault. Court documents state that Paul threw her phone, a wooden playset and metal chairs at Mortensen, one of which struck her 5-year-old daughter. In August, Paul enters a plea in abeyance to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault for three years. This agreement requires her to get a substance abuse and domestic violence evaluation and complete any recommended treatment. Paul also must not violate any laws above a minor traffic violation. 2024
The first season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” releases on Hulu and details Paul’s life leading up to the show: starting MomTok, the ensuing scandals and her being charged. Paul gives birth to her and Mortensen’s son on March 19, 2024. 2025
The second season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” premieres on Hulu in May. In this season, Paul navigates her co-parenting relationship with Mortensen and navigates tension within the MomTok group, particularly with Demi Engemann. In September, Paul announces on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast that she is going to be the next “Bachelorette.”In quick succession, the third season of the Hulu show is released in November, which continues to chronicle the chaos of Paul and Mortensen’s relationship. They rekindle their romance when MomTok attends Stagecoach, the world’s largest country music festival, but split when Paul finds out Mortensen had a fling with a close family friend. She’s the first Bachelorette selected from outside the franchise. 2026
Season 4 of the reality show releases on March 12. This season, once again, focuses on Paul’s relationship with Mortensen, and her friends in MomTok trying to convince her to abandon the relationship and focus on her new opportunity on “The Bachelorette.” The season ends with Paul and Mortensen reuniting briefly. She refuses to get out of bed to get on her flight to begin filming the show. Later, when she appears in the car driving to the Bachelorette mansion, she is on FaceTime with Mortensen.Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” is set to air on March 22.This week, reports from national outlets state that filming for the fifth season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has paused because of a domestic altercation between Paul and Mortensen. Paul confirms this on “Good Morning America” on Wednesday — four days ahead of “The Bachelorette” premiere — and says she will “speak her truth” about the altercation when the time is right. ABC cancels Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” after TMZ on Thursday shares a video of Mortensen and Paul’s domestic altercation from 2023 — three days before it’s set to premiere. According to Utah court documents, Mortensen filed a petition for a protective order against Paul on Thursday. A judge granted a temporary protective order, barring Paul from having contact with Mortensen or their child at least until a hearing on the matter next month. For over 150 years, The Salt Lake Tribune has been Utah’s independent news source. Our reporters work tirelessly to uncover the stories that matter most to Utahns, from unraveling the complexities of court rulings to allowing tax payers to see where and how their hard earned dollars are being spent. This critical work wouldn’t be possible without people like you—individuals who understand the importance of local, independent journalism. As a nonprofit newsroom, every subscription and every donation fuels our mission, supporting the in-depth reporting that shines a light on the is sues shaping Utah today.
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