Taylor Frankie Paul has broken her silence following the cancellation of The Bachelorette season 22.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” a rep for Taylor, 31, said in a statement to Us Weekly on Thursday, March 19. “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 continued, “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.”
ABC announced on Thursday that the network would not be moving forward with Taylor’s season amid allegations of a domestic violence dispute with her on-and-off again ex Dakota Mortensen.
“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,” a Disney Entertainment spokesperson told Us in a statement at the time.
Hours before ABC’s decision, TMZ released footage of the 2023 incident between Taylor and Dakota, 33, that led to her arrest. In the clip, she could be seen throwing chairs at her ex as her daughter, Indy, now 8, cried in the background. Taylor’s rep addressed the footage, noting that the incident was “reprehensible.” (Taylor shares Indy and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul. She and Dakota are parents to son Ever, 2.)
Taylor was previously arrested in February 2023 and charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse with injury and criminal mischief. The Mormon Wives star pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, and the other charges were dismissed.
Later on Thursday, a source told Us that Dakota filed a protective order against Taylor and requested temporary sole custody of their son.
“As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation,” Dakota shared in a statement to Us before addressing Taylor’s allegations against him directly. “I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same.”
Earlier in the week, news broke that Taylor and Dakota were allegedly involved in a separate altercation that occurred this past February. A spokesperson for Utah’s Draper City Police Department confirmed to Us that there is an open “domestic assault investigation” into the alleged dispute.
Taylor and Dakota’s relationship ups and downs have been documented on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives since 2024. Production halted on season 5 of the Hulu reality series following the pair’s latest incident.
