Would-be “Bachelorette” Taylor Frankie Paul will return to “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” albeit with limited participation, following the controversy that emerged after video circulated from her 2023 domestic violence incident.
The reality star, 32, will spend the rest of this work week filming the intro to the Hulu hit’s fifth season, insiders told TMZ. It’s believed this is all she’ll be filming from here on out, which would negate the possibility of a final confessional.
“Secret Lives” was put on pause in March amid allegations that Paul had choked her estranged on-off boyfriend Dakota Mortensen in front of their son Ever, 2. Sources later told TMZ that Mortensen was the one who was being abusive. Utah authorities at the time mandated that both Paul and 33-year-old Mortensen each undergo psychiatric evaluations. Neither party was ultimately charged.
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Taylor Frankie Paul attends the Oscars on March 15. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” — which airs on ABC, a network that, like streamer Hulu, is owned by Disney — was set to air later that month.
That is until TMZ published footage from 2023, which showed a drunken and belligerent Paul hurling metal barstools at Mortensen, only for one to allegedly hit her daughter, Indy, then 5. “The Bachelorette” season was pulled within hours of that video making the rounds, and Mortensen was quickly awarded temporary custody of Ever. At the time of publication, they’re still fighting for custody.
Paul remains on probation until next month, having pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in exchange for the dismissal of other charges, which included felony domestic violence in the presence of a child and misdemeanor child abuse.
Following publication of the video, Paul — who shares Indy, now 8, and son Ocean, 6, with ex-husband Tate Paul — has since been granted a restraining order against Mortensen, and he against her.
A source told People late last month that Paul is “committed to getting better” and had voluntarily “checked into a facility,” from which she’s since left.