topline
Video released by TMZ on Thursday shows reality star Taylor Frankie Paul throwing a barstool chair at her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen during a heated argument in 2023 in front of her children, just days before her season of The Bachelorette premieres on ABC.
Paul rose to fame on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and will star on the next season of “The Bachelorette.” (Photo by Araya Dhoni/Getty Images)
Getty Images
main facts
TMZ released the clip three days before Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” premieres on ABC, amid growing controversy as Paul and Mortensen face another domestic violence investigation in Utah.
ABC has not yet commented on the video.
The video depicts a 2023 argument between Paul and Mortensen that resulted in Paul being charged with felony aggravated assault and domestic violence.
A spokesperson for Paul told Forbes that the video was released as part of a “never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without regard to the consequences for the children,” calling it an “old video” that “conveniently ignores context.”
What happened in Paul’s video?
The video shows Paul and Mortensen having a heated argument, with Paul kicking Mortensen at one point and then grabbing a barstool and throwing it at him. After Paul threw the first chair, Mortensen said, “Your daughter is right here,” and then Paul threw the second and third chairs. Mortensen later said, “Your daughter just got hit in the head with a metal chair.” Paul’s daughter can be heard crying throughout the video, and Paul yells at Mortensen, “You did this,” and “Get away from my daughter.”
What happened after the events of 2023?
In February 2023, Paul was arrested by Herriman, Utah police on three misdemeanor counts of assault in the presence of a child, criminal mischief and domestic violence. A news release from the police department said there was video evidence that Paul’s “minor child was injured as a result of Ms. Paul’s actions.” The Salt Lake City District Attorney’s Office charged Paul with one felony count of aggravated assault and two felony counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, although Paul claimed on the “Call Her Dad” podcast last year that the charges were dropped and that she never harmed her daughter.
what we don’t know
Whether the clip will affect ABC’s plans for “The Bachelorette,” which premieres Sunday.
main background
Paul became the subject of growing controversy after the Draper, Utah, Police Department confirmed an ongoing domestic violence investigation to PEOPLE earlier this week. Details of the investigation are unclear, but police said charges were laid on both sides. The investigation prompted The Secret Life of Mormon Wives to halt production on its fifth season and ABC sponsor Cinnabon to cut ties with The Mormon Wives and The Bachelorette. Paul addressed the findings on “Good Morning America” Wednesday morning, calling it “a heavy moment” and that the event “playing out in these headlines” felt “like the end of the world.”
further reading
‘Bachelorette’ Taylor Frankie Paul Says Domestic Violence Investigation Feels Like ‘The End of the World’ (Forbes)
