Could Taylor Frankie Paul’s hunt for love may already be over before it begins? According to People, news broke on Monday that The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is embroiled in a domestic violence investigation involving her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, leaving fans speculating whether her upcoming season of The Bachelorette may be pulled or delayed amid the controversy. Here’s what to know about the investigation and the future of Season 22 of The Bachelorette.
Paul’s search for love may be over before it even begins.
According to People, news broke Monday that the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is involved in a domestic violence investigation concerning her ex-boyfriend, Mortensen. The development has sparked speculation among fans about whether her upcoming season of The Bachelorette could be delayed or pulled altogether. Here’s what to know about the investigation and the future of Season 22 of The Bachelorette.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives filming was halted because of investigation
On Monday, a spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed there is an open “domestic assault investigation” involving Paul and Mortensen following an incident in February, according to People. While the spokesperson did not provide specific details, they said “contact was made with involved parties on [Feb.] 24 and 25” and that “allegations have been made in both directions.”
Filming for Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has been paused as a result of the investigation. TMZ was first to report the halt, with a source later confirming to People that production “will see what happens” before deciding whether to resume.
“Until that resolves, they are off,” the unnamed source told the outlet.
Another source told People that Paul’s fellow #MomTok members are also distancing themselves from the reality star amid the investigation.
“None of the women want to be associated with her,” the unnamed source noted.
News of the investigation comes after Season 4 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives revealed that Paul spent the night with Mortensen just before leaving to star on The Bachelorette. The reality star acknowledged that the situation “doesn’t look the best,” but said her first priority is herself, according to Forbes.
“No matter what, my mistakes, his mistakes, I always come No. 1,” Paul said in Season 4 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. “He always chooses me at the end of the day. So yeah, it does get confusing.”
Paul addressed the investigation for the first time during a press interview Tuesday
With The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on pause, what does that mean for Paul’s upcoming season of The Bachelorette?
Multiple outlets reported that ABC still plans to move forward with Paul, who was announced as the franchise’s newest lead in September. On Tuesday, the network released a promotional teaser for the season, and Paul addressed the investigation during a press interview.
“Honestly, just like, my heart hurts to see it, to go through it, especially at this time,” Paul told People. “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.”
Despite Paul addressing the investigation, some of the men on her season are “losing their minds over this,” according to an unnamed source, per People.
“They’re extremely disappointed. They felt betrayed when they found this out because they all went into this to genuinely get to know Taylor,” the source told the outlet. However, another insider told the publication that Paul is “on great terms with the men from The Bachelorette.”
The Bachelorette premieres on ABC March 22.
The post Is ‘The Bachelorette’ Canceled Amid Taylor Frankie Paul’s Domestic Violence Investigation? Here’s What We Know appeared first on Blavity.
