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By Jenni Fink
Senior Editor
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Fans of The Bachelorette think they’ve uncovered a major spoiler about Taylor Frankie Paul’s upcoming season—and it centers on her turbulent relationship with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.
Paul is promising a Bachelorette season unlike any other, and her season is set to debut on Sunday on the heels of the release of the latest season of the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Much of this latest season focused on the women trying to help Paul prepare for the experience and make sure she's in the proper mental headspace with regards to Mortensen before she left to become The Bachelorette.
While it's unclear how Paul's season plays out, it seems the drama with her and Mortensen continued after she returned. The Draper City Police Department confirmed that there's an open domestic assault investigation into an incident between Paul and Mortensen. The police said there are allegations being made in "both directions," and filming on season five of Secret Lives has paused following the February incident.
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And while details of the incident are unclear, fans think it's a clue as to what happens on her season of The Bachelorette.
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Why Fans Think Taylor Frankie Paul Didn’t Find Love
Given what happened with Mortensen, fans started speculating that Paul didn't find love during her time on The Bachelorette because it appears she still has entanglements with her ex-boyfriend. In the most recent season, viewers watched the pair struggle to fully break free from one another in the months leading up to Taylor’s departure to film The Bachelorette. The two slept together the night before she left for The Bachelorette, sparking criticism from her family and friends.
On social media and fan forums, some viewers argue that the ongoing conflict with Mortensen suggests Taylor ultimately didn’t leave The Bachelorette with an engagement.
"How has she not gotten in trouble for basically spoiling the bachelor and how she clearly did NoT end up with anyone. No need to watch now!" Katy Johnson, a California real estate agent, commented on an Instagram post.
Does Taylor Frankie Paul Get Engaged on The Bachelorette?
Since Bachelorette films an entire season before the show airs, it's critical that everyone involved keep spoilers under wraps. Cast members have said they were banned from seeing people after filming wrapped until the finale aired to keep information about the show secret. Leaks threaten the desire for fans to watch, since so much of the intrigue is wrapped up in who the main character ends up with at the end of the show, if anyone.
While some fans are taking Paul's recent altercation with Mortensen as proof she didn't find love, blogger Steve Carbone, who goes by Reality Steve, claims that Paul did get engaged. He said that contestant Doug Mason proposed to her during the final rose ceremony, and she accepted. However, Carbone also asserted that the engagement didn’t last long. He reported that Paul and Mason broke up shortly after filming ended, alleging the split was tied to Paul's continued emotional entanglement with Mortensen.
Newsweek has reached out to Paul's manager via email for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Paul's Bachelorette season starts on Sunday, and she told People yesterday that the news around her alleged altercation with Mortensen breaking near her premiere is especially hard.
"I feel like every premiere that I've experienced, I've never enjoyed fully, so this is another one... it's extremely hard, and it took everything to get me here today," Paul said. "I'm struggling for sure, but also at the same time I feel like if I don't show up, then I'm just giving these opportunities away and not enjoying what we've worked on and something super exciting that's coming."
What Happened Between Dakota Mortensen and Taylor Frankie Paul
Very few details have been released about the alleged altercation between Mortensen and Paul. Police are investigating an alleged domestic violence incident between Paul and Mortensen that took place in late February. Paul was previously arrested in 2023 following an argument with Mortensen that viewers saw play out on camera. She pled guilty to aggravated assault, and the conditions of her plea allow her to have the charge dismissed as long as she complies with the conditions of the plea.
Neither Mortensen nor Paul has commented on the specifics of the incident.
Is Taylor Frankie Paul's Bachelorette Season Still Going to Air?
Some fans have criticized ABC for casting Paul as the Bachelorette and are even pushing the network to cut its losses and not air the season. ABC hasn't commented on any of the rumors about the outcome of the season, and it would be unlikely for ABC to pull the show at this point, especially given the amount of attention the season is getting. Her season is shaping up to be one of the most scrutinized in recent Bachelorette history, blending franchise drama with real-world legal and personal complications.
Whether Taylor ultimately left the show engaged, single, or somewhere in between will only be definitively answered when the finale airs.
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