{"id":14077,"date":"2026-04-06T14:18:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T21:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=14077"},"modified":"2026-04-06T14:18:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T21:18:12","slug":"taylor-frankie-paul-announces-on-easter-that-shes-distancing-herself-from-mormon-church-amid-bachelorette-and-slomw-controversies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=14077","title":{"rendered":"Taylor Frankie Paul announces on Easter that she\u2019s distancing herself from Mormon church amid Bachelorette and SLOMW controversies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"main\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-1ihz57b-0\" data-component=\"SupportNSCNative\" data-loading=\"lazy\" data-theme-name=\"independent\">\n<div data-theme-wrapper=\"true\" style=\"display:contents;color-scheme:inherit\">\n<aside class=\"sc-hez36s-0 dFpFuY\">\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-1 iBibVd\">\n<h3 data-testid=\"support-nsc-title\" class=\"sc-hez36s-2 iDdDhr\">Your support helps us to tell the story<\/h3>\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-8 juUDRT\">\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-13 cqPbFA\">\n<div class=\"sc-aja53j-0 rAFIl sc-hez36s-16 jZSKtc\">\n<div class=\"sc-aja53j-6 PdmgT\">\n<div data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-collapsed-content-container\" class=\"sc-aja53j-5 eZqxmv\">\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-collapsed-content\" class=\"sc-aja53j-4 ldkrTV\">\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"support-nsc-collapsed-content-tablet\" class=\"sc-hez36s-7 jAwgJl\">\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 cJuFfN\">From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it&#8217;s investigating the financials of Elon Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, &#8216;The A Word&#8217;, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 cJuFfN\">At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 cJuFfN\">The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n<p><strong class=\"sc-1uza6dc-1 jZvTVV\">Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"sc-aja53j-1 keLMOw sc-aja53j-7 eMEmGu\"><span data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-dropdown-tablet\" class=\"sc-aja53j-3 dHXFkr\"><span data-action-type=\"Read more\" class=\"sc-aja53j-2 gDeiQ\">Read more<\/span><svg class=\"sc-eaj12q-0 hUgQwJ sc-culv3z-0 eifaJK sc-a5wy94-0 hyKPon\"><use href=\"#ee6613da15642019\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Taylor Frankie Paul has announced her decision to \u201cdetach\u201d herself from the Mormon church as she continues to deal with the fallout from multiple domestic violence allegations. <\/p>\n<p>The <em>Secret Lives of Mormon Wives<\/em> star, 31, was set to lead season 22 of<em> The Bachelorette<\/em><em>. <\/em>However, days before its premiere, a violent video of her 2023 assault involving her ex, Dakota Mortensen, was leaked, leading ABC to cancel the season. Another alleged instance of domestic violence between Paul and Mortensen in February also brought a pause to the production of season five of <em>The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p>Paul has since spoken out, describing the past 40 days as \u201chell on earth,\u201d in an Instagram post shared Easter Sunday. <\/p>\n<p>Later that day, the mother of three, who was born and raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced that she would be distancing herself from the church. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll always have love and respect towards it,\u201d Paul wrote in an Instagram Story. \u201cI\u2019ll even continue to go with my family at times, with that being said, it\u2019s time to detach myself from it.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"2\" class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 fkTWAw\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/04\/06\/17\/00\/Taylor-Frankie-Paul.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/04\/06\/17\/00\/Taylor-Frankie-Paul.png?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/04\/06\/17\/00\/Taylor-Frankie-Paul.png?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Taylor Frankie Paul said she still strongly believes in 'Christ, God, the bible, the divine'\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">Taylor Frankie Paul said she still strongly believes in &#8216;Christ, God, the bible, the divine&#8217;<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->taylorfrankiepaul on Instagram<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc-awdjp1-2 cbpRGD sc-awdjp1-3 image align-center\">\n<figure class=\"sc-1cbdeug-0 cXcwgU\">\n<div data-gallery-length=\"2\" class=\"sc-awdjp1-0 jFNRCy\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/20\/10\/32\/GettyImages-2214126257.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/20\/10\/32\/GettyImages-2214126257.jpg?quality=75&amp;width=320&amp;auto=webp 320w, https:\/\/static.the-independent.com\/2026\/03\/20\/10\/32\/GettyImages-2214126257.jpg?quality=75&amp;width=640&amp;auto=webp 640w\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Paul was born and raised in the Mormon church\" class=\"sc-1mc30lb-0 ggpMaE inline-gallery-btn\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"sc-1cbdeug-1 sc-1cbdeug-3 GbazC hgzWpY\">Paul was born and raised in the Mormon church<span class=\"sc-1cbdeug-7 dnwdMd\"> <!-- -->(<!-- -->Getty<!-- -->)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Clarifying that she still strongly believes in \u201cChrist, God, the bible, the divine,\u201d she shared her belief that \u201cwe are loved whether we are praying in [a] church building or from a bathroom floor at home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve also experienced grace and love from amazing people that aren\u2019t sure what they believe if at all and that\u2019s okay too,\u201d the TikTok influencer-turned-reality star added. \u201cPoint being there is more out there to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Paul first rose to fame in 2022 when she went viral for posting about a \u201csoft swinging\u201d with her friend group \u2014 a social media clique known as MomTok \u2014 amid her divorce from her ex-husband, Tate Paul. The scandal inspired Hulu to create a reality TV show about the group, titled <em>The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Following the show\u2019s success, Paul was tapped to lead season 22 of <em>The Bachelorette<\/em>, a move that drew controversy over her limited ties to the franchise. <\/p>\n<p>Last month, just days before the season debut, ABC made the costly decision to scrap the season after disturbing video footage from 2023, showing Paul attacking Mortensen and throwing metal barstools at him, was released. <\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DWxMLqejs64\/embed\/captioned\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"sc-wn0aau-1 dZPXBi\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>It was already publicly known that in 2023, Paul was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors, including assault, criminal mischief and domestic violence in the presence of a child. In August of that year, she pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault, and the other charges against her were dropped. She is currently under a three-year probation for the offense. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of <em>The Bachelorette<\/em> at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,\u201d ABC\u2019s parent company, Disney, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Paul\u2019s representative issued a statement, accusing Mortensen, 33, of leaking the 2023 video \u201cto distract from his own behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mortensen later denied Paul\u2019s claims in a statement of his own, saying: \u201cAs anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Paul\u2019s representative released a second statement, this time addressing the cancellation of <em>The Bachelorette<\/em>. \u201cTaylor is very grateful for ABC\u2019s support as she prioritizes her family\u2019s safety and security. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the <\/em><em>Refuge<\/em><em> website. There is a dedicated <\/em><em>men&#8217;s advice line<\/em><em> on 0808 8010 327. Those in the US can call the domestic violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via <\/em><em>www.befrienders.org<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it&#8217;s investigating the financials of Elon Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, &#8216;The A Word&#8217;, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Taylor Frankie Paul has announced her decision to \u201cdetach\u201d herself from the Mormon church as she continues to deal with the fallout from multiple domestic violence allegations. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 31, was set to lead season 22 of The Bachelorette. However, days before its premiere, a violent video of her 2023 assault involving her ex, Dakota Mortensen, was leaked, leading ABC to cancel the season. Another alleged instance of domestic violence between Paul and Mortensen in February also brought a pause to the production of season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Paul has since spoken out, describing the past 40 days as \u201chell on earth,\u201d in an Instagram post shared Easter Sunday. Later that day, the mother of three, who was born and raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced that she would be distancing herself from the church. \u201cI\u2019ll always have love and respect towards it,\u201d Paul wrote in an Instagram Story. \u201cI\u2019ll even continue to go with my family at times, with tha&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14078,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14077"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14077"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14077\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14078"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}