The roses are still coming. Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette season is moving forward exactly as planned, with ABC confirming the premiere date remains locked for this Sunday, March 22. The Taylor Frankie Paul Bachelorette role stands firm despite an ongoing domestic assault investigation involving her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, that recently paused production on her other show.
The 31-year-old MomTok founder made history as the first lead ever cast from outside the Bachelor franchise. Her season brings 22 men to the mansion, all competing for a woman who’s been brutally honest about her messy reality. And it’s about to get messier.
Draper City Police confirmed an open “domestic assault investigation” involving Paul and Mortensen, with allegations made in both directions. Law enforcement made contact with both parties on February 24 and 25. Production on Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives paused immediately.
But here’s what matters: ABC hasn’t flinched. The network remains silent publicly while privately keeping everything on track. Sources confirm the Taylor Frankie Paul Bachelorette role was never in jeopardy. The show must go on.
Friends noticed something shift before she left. Mayci Neeley told Us Weekly that while filming The Bachelorette, Paul seemed “in a better mindset” than she’d been in months. The forced distance from Utah gave her something she couldn’t find at home: space.
Mikayla Matthews saw it too. “That was an opportunity for her to be forced to be away from the toxic cycle that she was in with Dakota,” she explained. “At least for a period of time, to hopefully figure out what she wants and what she needs.”
The night before filming began, Paul reportedly slept with Mortensen and missed her flight. She eventually made it to the mansion. What happened next? The season will show everything.
The 22 men competing for her attention include a California cowboy named Brad who brings his horse Gus everywhere, a former pro baseball player who went viral for his dance moves, and a single dad from South Dakota whose favorite movie is The Notebook.
None of them signed up for a smooth ride. Paul warned them upfront.
“I made the decision to leave for two months and try,” she told Us Weekly after filming wrapped. “I reassured them that was why I was here.”
About the relationship with Mortensen that won’t seem to die: “It’s really hard to explain to people. Unless you’ve been in that situation, it is hard to understand. If I could just snap out of it, trust me, I would.”
The season ends in classic Taylor fashion. Her words: “I’m happy in the moment. The season ended in a Taylor way. Some people may know what that means, and some people might not.”
Sunday night changes everything. The premiere airs at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, streaming next day on Hulu. Twenty-two men. One woman. A past that won’t stay buried. And a franchise betting everything on its most unconventional lead yet.
The investigation continues. The show does too.
