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Just days before Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette is set to air, Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, made domestic violence allegations against each other. Paul, who faced charges of assault in 2023, was a controversial choice for fans of The Bachelor franchise. Now, fans are saying that this moment is proof that the show never should have cast her.

‘The Bachelorette’ star Taylor Frankie Paul faces domestic violence allegations

On Feb. 24 and 25, Draper City Police received allegations “made in both directions” regarding a domestic incident between Paul and Mortensen. The pair have been on and off since 2022 and share one son.

This is not the first time Paul has faced allegations of domestic violence. In 2023, police arrested Paul for allegedly hitting, choking, and throwing metal chairs at Mortensen. One of these chairs allegedly hit one of her children from a previous marriage. She pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault.

Her other show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, has halted the filming of season five. 

Fans of ‘The Bachelorette’ aren’t happy with the show for casting Taylor Frankie Paul

Bachelorette fans weren’t happy to hear that Paul would be the lead of this upcoming season. The current allegations against her have made them even angrier. Many people believe that she never should have been the lead in the first place.

“She should have never been given the opportunity to do the bachelorette,” wrote one Reddit user.

“The Bachelorette casts somebody with a history of domestic violence, only for her to commit more domestic violence right before the show comes out,” added another person.

Some people have advocated for the franchise to scrap the series ahead of its premiere date on March 22. Still, few people believe that will happen.

“While it would be the correct thing to do, I believe ABC/ Disney is only about the money side, not doing what’s right, and they’ll definitely air it,” wrote one person.

While drama and scandal are staples of reality television, many people believe that platforming Paul goes too far.

“I find it disturbing that we live in a society where someone with a DV record can star on a network reality show to find love/engagement,” wrote one person. “So many things over the last 10 years are being normalized in a way that is just unsettling. Reality TV is about drama and creating a compelling story, but shouldn’t some people be disqualified no matter how many followers they have?”

“There’s a type of drama that’s shameless and cringe but this has crossed a line, especially with kids involved,” added another person. “It’s just really sad.”

At this point, The Bachelorette is expected to air as scheduled.

She responded to the recent allegations

Paul, who is doing press for her upcoming season of the show, acknowledged the recent news about her.

“I think it’s been really difficult and heavy given, you know, all the headlines and what’s going on,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “But I would say I am handling it like any normal human would, like struggling, but trying to show up at the same time.”

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Bachelor Nation’s Sarah Herron Slams Casting of Taylor Frankie Paul as Next Bachelorette: ‘Bring Back Genuine People’

A rep for Mortensen denied that he has any responsibility for the domestic violence allegations. They said that at this point, his only focus is his son, Ever.

“His number one priority here is protecting [their son], Ever,” they told Entertainment Weekly. “He knew there was a possibility it could come out, but he was not going to be the one to proactively do that because he has always wanted a decent relationship with Taylor. It’s been really hard to achieve that, but he wants to coparent well.”

How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.

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