A reality TV star and influencer is facing yet another investigation tied to domestic abuse allegations involving her ex-boyfriend, almost three years after she pleaded guilty to a similar felony charge involving the same man.
Taylor Frankie Paul, 31, a mom of three and a key cast member on Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, has repeatedly found herself at the center of public controversy as her profile has grown.
Paul, who is still expected to appear as a lead on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, first drew widespread attention in 2022 during the so-called “Swinging Scandal,” when she publicly claimed that some members of the Mormon Wives circle were sleeping with each other’s husbands.
After the revelations, her partner Tate Paul pursued a divorce. She also said she’d developed feelings for another woman’s husband. In Season One, viewers later meet her then-new partner, Dakota Mortensen, who has spoken about being in recovery.
According to prior reporting and court records, Paul struggled to abstain from alcohol—something that reportedly conflicted with Mortensen’s substance-free lifestyle—before an incident in 2023 in which she threw a metal chair at Mortensen. The chair missed him and struck one of her children in the head.
Court documents stated: “A video of the incident shows Paul kick [the victim], put him in a chokehold and strike him multiple times,”
She later pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, under an agreement that resulted in prosecutors dropping more serious allegations, including two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, a misdemeanor child abuse charge, and a criminal mischief charge.
The deal also included a three-year abeyance, meaning the felony would not be reduced to a misdemeanor if she failed to satisfy the court’s conditions.
Now, Paul is reportedly under investigation again following a new domestic violence allegation connected to an incident involving Mortensen in February.
The news surfaced shortly after the fourth season of her Hulu series was released and just ahead of her scheduled debut on the next run of The Bachelorette, which is set to air March 22.
Draper City Police Department confirmed there is an “open domestic assault investigation” involving Paul and Mortensen. A spokesperson added that “allegations have been made in both directions” and that “contact was made with involved parties on [Feb] 24th and 25th.”
Filming on Season Five of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has reportedly been paused while the investigation continues. One source told People: “Taylor has some pretty serious stuff happening regarding her past, and they will see what happens.
“Until that resolves, they are off.”
Another person close to the production said: “The girls are very overwhelmed. They all banded together and they don’t want to come back right now.
“They were just getting tired of Taylor, honestly.”
Additional sources told the outlet that cast members don’t want to be tied to the situation moving forward. Another added: “The girls are very overwhelmed.
“They all banded together and they don’t want to come back right now.
“They were just getting tired of Taylor, honestly.”
Despite the active investigation, The Bachelorette appears to be moving forward as planned. Paul attended a press event on Tuesday, March 17, to promote the upcoming season.
Speaking to People, she said: “Honestly, just like, my heart hurts to see it, to go through it, especially at this time.
“Just the timing is hard, and it’s a big deal. I feel like every premiere that I’ve experienced, I’ve never enjoyed fully, so this is another one… it’s extremely hard, and it took everything to get me here today.”
She added: “It’s just heavy. It’s a heavy time, and it’s unfortunate.
“I’m struggling for sure, but also at the same time I feel like if I don’t show up, then I’m just giving these opportunities away and not enjoying what we’ve worked on and something super exciting that’s coming. I just feel like it was the right thing to do… show up even though it’s hard.”
On Reddit, some viewers responded harshly to the remarks, including one person who wrote: “God, don’t you hate it when your reality tv premiere is overshadowed by your domestic violence case.”