WEST JORDAN, Utah – Taylor Frankie Paul, a reality television figure featured on Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and a cast member of ABC’s completed “The Bachelorette” Season 22, has again been accused of domestic violence by ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, prompting another law-enforcement review tied to the pair.
The latest allegation is the third police investigation involving Paul and Mortensen. The West Jordan, Utah Police Department is reviewing multiple videos related to allegations centered on an incident said to have taken place in 2024; specific details about the alleged event, including when it occurred, have not been made public.
Beyond the legal process, the situation has already produced measurable operational consequences for two major entertainment owners: Disney, which controls ABC, and Hulu, which distributes “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” With one high-profile unscheduled premiere and another series’ production paused, the case underscores how quickly off-camera legal exposure can become a programming, brand-safety, and scheduling issue for unscripted television.
Three investigations, two police departments, and a case already on camera
The first investigation took place in 2023 and was documented in Season 1 of Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” Although the incident was already public, new footage was later published showing Paul throwing metal barstools at Mortensen while a child was nearby. Paul and Mortensen share a son, but the child in the video was from Paul’s previous marriage.
Following that 2023 incident, Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault under Utah’s criminal code and remains on probation until August 2026 as part of a plea arrangement that included court supervision and conditions typical of felony probation in the state. Her case is being handled within the state system that governs offenses such as domestic violence and aggravated assault under Utah’s criminal statutes, which set the framework for charging decisions and potential penalties.
A second investigation-overseen by the police department of Draper City, Utah-stems from allegations Paul and Mortensen both made against each other. Production on Season 5 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” is on pause as a result of that investigation, with Hulu and the show’s producers effectively deferring to the law-enforcement timeline before locking delivery and release dates.
The most recent allegations, tied to 2024, are now being reviewed by the West Jordan Police Department, which is examining multiple videos related to the case. Details about what is alleged to have happened, and the timing of the alleged incident, have not been made public. West Jordan authorities have said they are assessing the video evidence alongside prior case history involving the pair, a process that could influence whether prosecutors pursue additional charges or modify existing probation terms.
Disney/ABC’s scheduling move and the high-cost reality TV risk profile
In a concrete programming decision tied to the situation, Disney unscheduled the premiere of “The Bachelorette” Season 22. The season, which stars Paul, has been shot in its entirety, meaning the company is now managing a finished but unaired asset while legal and reputational questions remain unresolved.
From an industry standpoint, the move highlights a recurring structural reality of unscripted television: once a season is complete, a distributor’s risk becomes less about production logistics and more about brand stewardship, internal Standards & Practices considerations, audience-facing messaging, and downstream commercial relationships, including advertising and platform carriage. A finished season represents sunk cost-yet releasing it can still be reassessed when legal exposure and reputational risk intensify around a principal participant.
The decision also illustrates how corporate governance and risk committees inside large media groups can influence programming. When a cast member is the subject of a domestic-violence case, network lawyers, human-resources and compliance teams, and creative executives must weigh due-process concerns against potential harm to survivors of abuse, staff, and viewers. In recent years, major U.S. broadcasters have increasingly paused or re-edited unscripted projects when principal talent becomes the subject of active criminal investigations, treating these situations as both legal and workplace-safety issues rather than isolated PR crises.
Paul’s representative addressed the situation in a statement:
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” a spokesperson for Paul said in a statement. “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm,” the statement from her spokesperson reads. “There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives. Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
For Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” the situation has moved from on-screen narrative to active production constraint. With Season 5 paused amid an ongoing Draper City investigation, the series’ schedule is now directly shaped by external institutional processes-an outcome that can affect delivery timelines, post-production calendars, marketing plans, and release windows.
The West Jordan, Utah Police Department is reviewing multiple videos tied to the 2024 allegation, and specific details about the alleged event and when it took place have not been made public. As streaming platforms and broadcast networks navigate this case, the response is likely to be watched closely inside the wider unscripted TV business, which has been under pressure to update duty-of-care protocols for participants and crew following a series of high-profile incidents across reality franchises. In that environment, the Paul-Mortensen investigations have become not only a local criminal-justice matter but also a live test of how swiftly large media companies act when legal and ethical concerns collide with already-completed, high-value programming.