Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” will move forward as planned despite recent headlines surrounding an alleged domestic violence dispute involving her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.
According to Variety, the investigation tied to the incident “will not impact” the show’s release schedule or its promotional rollout. Paul remains the lead of season 22 of the ABC dating competition series, which premieres Sunday, March 22.
However, the situation has had ripple effects across some of the reality star’s other projects and partnerships. One brand partner has already cut ties, and production on Paul’s Hulu series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has temporarily paused.
Still, Paul has indicated she intends to continue fulfilling her obligations related to the upcoming premiere.
Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 22 Will Air as Planned
Despite the off-screen controversy, Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” will debut on schedule.
Variety confirmed that the ongoing investigation involving Paul and Mortensen will not affect the show’s premiere or planned promotional events.
Paul, 31, is expected to participate in promotional appearances in New York City ahead of the premiere and attend a premiere event in Los Angeles later in the week.
The season will mark a major milestone for the franchise, as Paul became widely known through the Hulu reality series “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” before being selected as the lead.
The show’s season 22 premiere is scheduled to air on ABC on March 22.
Paul has acknowledged that the timing surrounding the premiere has been difficult.
“I feel like every premiere that I’ve experienced, I’ve never enjoyed fully, so this is another one,” she said. “It’s extremely hard, and it took everything to get me here today.”
Paul described the situation as “unfortunate” and said she continues to push forward.
“I’m struggling,” she admitted, adding that she remains committed to “show up even though it’s hard.”
Brand Partnership Ends as Investigation Continues
While the ABC series remains on schedule, one brand partnership connected to Paul’s shows has ended.
On March 17, Cinnabon confirmed it ended its collaboration with both “The Bachelorette” and “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”
The company shared a statement with People explaining its decision.
“Cinnabon has made the decision to terminate its collaboration with The Bachelorette and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” the company said. “Recent developments and allegations surrounding the lead cast member led us to reassess this collaboration as it no longer aligns with our brand values.”
The partnership had been announced only days earlier.
On March 9, Cinnabon revealed plans to release a product called Swirled Soda, which the company said was “inspired by the viral beverage trend popularized by The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”
The campaign also included limited-time packaging tied to “The Bachelorette” and themed merchandise related to the Hulu series.
Production Pauses on ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’
The ongoing investigation has also affected Paul’s other reality project.
People reported that production on season 5 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” paused on March 16.
“They are not filming,” a source told the outlet.
The Hulu series has played a significant role in Paul’s rise to reality television fame and introduced viewers to her personal life and relationships.
One of the most prominent storylines involved Paul’s relationship with Mortensen, whom she dated from 2022 to 2024. The former couple share a 1-year-old son named Ever.
The season 4 finale of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” revealed that Paul and Mortensen had been together shortly before she left to film “The Bachelorette.”
Mortensen acknowledged his feelings during a confessional.
“She’s leaving and I’m not going to talk to her for, I think, two months,” Mortensen said. “I’d be lying if I didn’t think there was a piece of me that just kind of wanted to go … see her [and] be with her, like, possibly for the last time.”
In another moment shown on the series, Mortensen spoke with Paul over FaceTime after she arrived in Los Angeles to begin filming the ABC show.
During the call, Mortensen apologized for past actions.
He admitted his decisions had “caused a lot of problems,” including a relationship with a friend of Paul’s castmate Miranda Hope.
Mortensen also asked Paul to “save a rose” for him.
Paul acknowledged the apology but later reflected on the moment in a confessional.
“The apology is just words, like it always is,” she said.
Paul also shared that filming “The Bachelorette” offered an opportunity to move forward.
“I do think it’s an opportunity to get away from him, absolutely,” she said. “It’s like a dream come true.”
Paul previously addressed a separate 2023 incident involving Mortensen during an appearance on the podcast “Call Her Daddy.”
She said the charges related to that situation “were all dropped.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
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Realizing that Hulu has more integrity than ABC does was not on my 2026 bingo card.