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Before her season of The Bachelorette was canceled, Taylor Frankie Paul said she would have filmed even if she was pregnant with ex Dakota Mortensen‘s baby.
In a profile published by Vulture on Friday, March 20 — which was conducted before ABC canceled the season — the reality star, 31, was asked about Dakota’s onscreen claims that she was worried she was pregnant going into the Bachelor Mansion.
“I would have had my baby,” she said before adding that she wouldn’t have pulled out of season 22. “That would have been meant for a reason.”
During season 4 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Dakota, 33, and Taylor slept together hours before she left to film The Bachelorette. Dakota then confided to Jessi Draper that Taylor allegedly told him she thought she might be pregnant.
Taylor, who has since confirmed there was no pregnancy scare, was announced as the lead for season 22 of The Bachelorette in September 2025 before fans saw her messy resolution with Dakota on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. (Taylor, who shares son, Ever, 2, with Dakota, also shares two kids with ex-husband Tate Paul.)
Days before Taylor’s search for The One would have aired on ABC, production was halted on season 5 of Mormon Wives. The March pause came after Taylor and Dakota were involved in a domestic violence dispute last month. A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed that there is an open “domestic assault investigation” involving the pair.
Taylor Frankie Paul Disney/Sami Drasin
TMZ has since released unseen footage from Taylor and Dakota’s 2023 altercation where the Bachelorette lead was seen throwing chairs before one hit her and Tate’s daughter. The arrest originally made headlines in 2023 when Taylor was charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse with injury and criminal mischief after the incident.
Taylor pleaded guilty in August 2023 to aggravated assault, while the other four charges were dismissed with prejudice. She reached a plea deal the following month. In the aftermath of the resurfaced footage, ABC ultimately canceled season 22 of The Bachelorette.
A Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson told Us on Thursday, March 19, “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.”
Taylor also released a statement addressing the scandal.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” a rep for Taylor said on Thursday. “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.”
