The “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star also opens up about how her relationship with ex Dakota Mortensen was about “not feeling enough.”

Taylor Frankie Paul talks mental health and scandals in interview conducted before The Bachelorette cancellation

The "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star also opens up about how her relationship with ex Dakota Mortensen was about "not feeling enough."

By Leigh Blickley

March 20, 2026 1:29 p.m. ET

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Taylor Frankie Paul. Credit:

Monica Schipper/Getty

*The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives *star Taylor Frankie Paul is opening up about her mental health struggles, sobriety, and past scandals amid news that ABC has canceled her upcoming season of *The Bachelorette*.

In an interview with *Vulture*, released on Friday but conducted before Paul's reported domestic assault incident in February, she gets candid about balancing her reality TV obligations with motherhood and seasonal affective disorder (or depression triggered by the changing seasons, according to the Mayo Clinic).

“I had a mental breakdown the other day on-camera, and it was just like, ‘Well, we have to be here. We’re contracted’ — no. This is not acting. I’m having a mental breakdown. I’m going home. That’s it, period,” she said of a recent scene filmed for season 5 of *Mormon Wives*, which has halted production amid Paul's controversy.

Before everything came crashing down this week — as video footage released from a 2023 domestic assault investigation with her ex Dakota Mortensen solidified ABC's decision to cancel her season of *The Bachelorette* — Paul admitted that this current moment "has been the closest [she's] ever gotten" to quitting the business entirely.

"[But] I’m not really a quitter," she added, also noting in the interview that although she’s enjoying sobriety — a condition that's part of her probation for the 2023 incident — she's someone who "never says never."

Paul told the outlet, "I think drinking would add a lot more confusion, chaos, and depression to my life."

She said her parents' philosophy growing up was “rub some dirt in it, you’re gonna be fine," which she explained is probably why she lives life on her own terms.

"Maybe that’s why I didn’t really learn to navigate my emotions until now, and I’m doing it in front of a lot of people," she said.

Taylor Frankie Paul on 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives'.

Paul also spoke about her volatile relationship with Mortensen, telling *Vulture*, "Did I love him? Absolutely. That goes without saying, but I think I’m to the point of just, like, resentment with him. I think he loved me to his capacity, and it’s just not the type of love I want. I think love is calm, patient, kind, and wants the best for you no matter what, and that’s the love I want.”

She has resigned to the fact that they will be co-parenting their son, Ever, for the rest of their lives. "We both have that same wound of not feeling enough, not deserving," she said. "When you have that, you settle for disrespect."

Days after *Vulture* spoke with Paul, Draper City police opened another investigation into new domestic assault allegations made by both Paul and Mortensen. Authorities spoke with the pair separately on Feb. 24 and 25, and Paul shared with ** that she "actually took action about a few weeks ago."

Everything Taylor Frankie Paul has said about 2023 arrest for incident captured in leaked video

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"I'm just doing third-party everything — pick-up, drop-offs, communication — so no contact right now for me," she added of her current status with Mortensen, who told *EW* his "number one priority" is their son.

Paul said her goal was to "not make [the investigation] a big deal" in order to protect Ever, but "that wasn't the plan for [Mortensen]."

Taylor Frankie Paul as the Bachelorette.

Following the breakdown of her stint as Bachelorette* *on Thursday, Paul's rep released a statement on her behalf to *EW*.

"Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security," the statement read. "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."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

As for Mortensen, he has filed a restraining order against Paul.

"As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation," Mortensen said in a statement to *EW*. "I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same."

*If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.*

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Source: “EW Celebrity”