‘The Bachelorette’ Fans Say Casting Taylor Frankie Paul Is a ‘Terrible Idea’: ‘Yikes!’
The newest Bachelorette, Taylor Frankie Paul, is no stranger to putting her life in front of the camera. Paul is a star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and is now joining The Bachelorette as its lead. While Paul said she’s looking forward to the new chapter, fans of the show are not as certain about her.
Taylor Frankie Paul is the new Bachelorette
On Sept. 10, Paul appeared on an episode of Call Her Daddy to speak about her new role as the Bachelorette. She admitted that the news still feels “surreal” to her.
“It has not hit me right now in this moment,” she told host Alex Cooper. “I’m just thinking about it, and it’s not real. And it’s not going to be until I think the limo is pulling up, you know? And meeting the people.”
Paul first gained public attention as a TikToker before transitioning to reality television with The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. While she is a public figure, she said she never expected to be the Bachelorette. She made a TikTok about the possibility of joining the show several years ago, but she didn’t think that would get her anywhere.
“I don’t know if that got their attention … It was mainly a joke to me … Then we had a meeting,” she said. “I still didn’t believe it until I got the invitation, ‘Will you be our Bachelorette?’ Same reaction, shaking, pacing back and forth. There’s no way, no way.”
Paul, a mother of three, said that while she initially had reservations about appearing on the show, she is now looking forward to it.
Fans of ‘The Bachelorette’ aren’t happy that Taylor Frankie Paul is the lead
Some fans of the show have noted that casting Paul is a good move for the show, as falling ratings have been a concern for producers. Others have expressed their dismay at the choice of lead.
“This is a very terrible idea,” wrote one Reddit user. “For everyone involved.”
“Horrible idea, yikes!” added another person.
Some commenters noted that Paul only recently got out of a relationship with her ex, Dakota Mortenson. They believe she should take more time for herself.
“This is such a bad look for ABC. They only want her bc they know she’ll crash out,” wrote one person. “She needs therapy, be single, and focus on herself and her kids for a while.”
Others have expressed frustration that Paul is the lead of the show despite having been charged with aggravated assault. In 2023, she was arrested on charges of assault, criminal mischief, and domestic violence in the presence of a child. She was accused of throwing a chair at Mortenson that allegedly hit her daughter.
“Why would they have her??” asked one user. “They wouldn’t put a man with a [domestic violence] charge as the Bachelor.”
Still, many people have expressed interest in the season purely because they believe it will be drama-filled.
“Lmao this is gonna be a mess,” wrote one person before adding, “I will be watching.”
She will still appear on ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’
Being the Bachelorette is a time-consuming job, leading many to wonder if Paul will remain on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. She confirmed that fans of the show have no need to worry; she will continue to appear on the reality series.
“I was like, ‘I can. If I want to, I can,'” she said. “I was like, ‘I will make it work.’ I have a team of people that I don’t think I utilize. I can ask for help more. And I don’t usually.”
Paul’s season of The Bachelorette will likely air in 2026.
