Taylor Frankie Paul Faces Investigation Over Alleged Third Domestic Violence Incident

Three days before her season of "The Bachelorette" was set to premiere, Taylor Frankie Paul watched ABC yank it from the schedule entirely. Shortly after a leaked video was published, a Disney spokesperson confirmed the network pulled her season, saying: "In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of 'The Bachelorette' at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family."

The TMZ footage showed a 2023 altercation between Paul and ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, a separate incident from the domestic dispute in February that prompted the current investigation. The video appears to be recorded by Mortensen and shows Paul pushing and kicking him as he repeatedly asks her to stop, saying, "let me go." According to TMZ, the police report notes that a 5-year-old child was hit during the altercation and had a "goose egg on her head."

The network's decision came on top of an already active law enforcement inquiry. A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed on March 16 that there was an open "domestic assault investigation" regarding Paul and Mortensen, telling People that "allegations have been made in both directions" and that "contact was made with involved parties on [Feb] 24th and 25th." The West Jordan Police Department separately confirmed to NBC News that it received a domestic violence allegation via phone call involving Paul, but could not provide details about the allegation, any potential charges, or the exact date or time of the incident. A police department spokesperson said detectives are working on establishing the facts of the case.

On the same day the TMZ video surfaced, Mortensen, through his attorney, filed for a protective order against Paul in Salt Lake County District Court, though the filing was sent back because it was incomplete and an amended petition was requested. He was subsequently awarded temporary custody of their 2-year-old son, Ever, with a Utah court commissioner approving the order on March 20, prohibiting Paul from contacting Mortensen and requiring her to stay at least 100 feet away from him at all times.

Paul addressed the situation in a live interview on "Good Morning America" on March 18. "I'm a person that will always speak my truth — that's what I'm known for," she told host Lara Spencer. "But right now, just trying to be in the present moment and focus on this, but the thing is, my kids do come first." She also confirmed that production had stopped on the Hulu series that made her famous. Production on Season 5 of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" was halted following the reports. Three sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, told NBC News there is an "ongoing investigation" involving the on-again, off-again couple.

The situation has halted production on Hulu's "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" Season 5 and prompted ABC to yank Paul's season of "The Bachelorette" off the air just three days before its premiere. Audio of cast members obtained by NBC News captured the confusion among Paul's costars, with one saying: "It's a dangerous situation, it's a sad situation, and we don't know how to navigate it, because Taylor is our friend."

The current investigation is not Paul's first legal encounter stemming from her relationship with Mortensen. Paul was charged with assault, criminal mischief and domestic violence in the presence of a child for the 2023 incident, and court records indicate she pleaded guilty in abeyance to an aggravated assault charge in August 2025, with the other four charges dismissed with prejudice. She is reportedly still within that three-year probation threshold until August 2026, meaning the new investigation could have significant legal consequences.

In a statement to Entertainment Weekly on March 18, Mortensen's representative said his priority was protecting their child, and that while he knew news of the police investigation might surface ahead of Paul's "Bachelorette" run, his focus had been on co-parenting. "He knew there was a possibility it could come out, but he was not going to be the one to proactively do that because he has always wanted a decent relationship with Taylor," his rep said.

The Draper Police Department, for its part, declined to elaborate beyond confirming the open investigation, noting that "without an immediate impact to public safety, it is the practice of the department not to release details related to active investigations.