When a group of glossy-haired Mormon housewives-turned-TikTokers secured their own Hulu reality show in 2024, nobody could have predicted the cultural domination that followed. The eight stars of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — who first found fame in the wake of a viral “soft swinging” scandal — have infiltrated every corner of popular culture: landing book deals, a Broadway debut and coveted slots on Dancing With the Stars. The trajectory seemed to reach yet new heights when Taylor Frankie Paul, the reality series’ chaotic mother of three, was cast as the female lead on ABC’s stalwart dating show The Bachelorette, cementing the cultural domination of SLOMW.
But days before Paul’s season was set to premiere, ABC pulled the season at the last minute after domestic violence allegations against the 31-year-old star triggered widespread backlash. On Wednesday (18 March), it emerged that Paul and Dakota Mortensen, her ex-boyfriend and father of her third child, are being investigated by police on allegations of domestic assault, prompting Hulu to pause filming for its fifth season of SLOMW. The following day, disturbing footage leaked to TMZ showed Paul attacking Mortensen during a violent 2023 altercation, for which Paul was charged with three misdemeanors, including assault, criminal mischief and domestic violence in the presence of a child. She is currently under a three-year supervised probation. ABC’s parent company, Disney Entertainment Television, said in a statement Thursday: “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.”
