Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office Declines Prosecution Following Review
The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday that it will not file domestic violence charges against Taylor Frankie Paul, a figure formerly associated with the reality television program The Bachelorette. This decision comes after the office reviewed reports and evidence submitted by both the Draper Police Department and the West Jordan Police Department. DA Slim Gill stated in a prepared release that the available information did not meet the threshold for prosecution.
The legal reprieve for Paul arrives less than a month after her planned season of The Bachelorette was abruptly pulled from ABC's schedule. The cancellation, announced on March 19, preceded the season's scheduled premiere on March 22, reportedly due to emerging details surrounding a February incident involving her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.
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Circumstances Leading to Investigation
The investigation stemmed from allegations of domestic violence between Paul and Mortensen. Reports indicated a video surfaced showing Paul throwing metal stools at Mortensen and potentially striking one of her children. Paul herself had previously spoken out, with a representative stating she had suffered "extensive mental and physical abuse." She has also claimed she was drinking prior to the incident.
ABC's parent company, Disney, declined to comment on the district attorney's decision.
Broader Context and Past Incidents
The cancellation of Paul's season of The Bachelorette had already incurred significant financial costs for ABC. Further allegations against Paul surfaced in late March, following the show's shelving. A protective order hearing involving Paul and Mortensen is scheduled for April 30.
Paul, aged 27, gained initial public attention through her presence on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, and her involvement in the Hulu series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. This prior connection to reality television appears to have been a factor in her casting for The Bachelorette. One report from March 21 alleged that Paul had pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, in relation to a past incident, stating she had been drinking.
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The circumstances surrounding the shelving of her Bachelorette season highlighted a perceived risk-taking by ABC, which opted to feature Paul despite prior knowledge of alleged incidents.
