Taylor Frankie Paul completed her three-year probation on Friday, August 7, 2026, according to a judge who ruled the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star had successfully fulfilled all conditions of her sentence. It’s a moment she’s using to celebrate healing—but the road here has been anything but quiet in the culture.
Let’s back up. In February 2023, Paul was charged with aggravated assault (third-degree felony), two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child (third-degree felony), child abuse with injury (Class A misdemeanor), and criminal mischief (Class B misdemeanor) after she reportedly assaulted and threw a chair at her then-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. Her child witnessed the incident and was injured during it. In August 2023, Paul entered a plea in abeyance to aggravated assault, reducing her sentence so long as she followed the terms of her probation. The other charges were dismissed.
But here’s where it got MESSY for real. A video depicting the incident resurfaced in March 2026, leading ABC to pull the season of “The Bachelorette” featuring Paul. The dropped Bachelorette season—where Paul was set to be the franchise’s first lead from outside Bachelor Nation—became a cultural moment. Video was released showing her throwing a chair at Mortensen, and days before Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was set to premiere, ABC announced plans not to air the show.
Things got worse before they got better. Shortly after the video leak, Mortensen and Paul filed for protective orders against one another. Since March, Paul and Mortensen have appeared in court to argue over parent time of their shared child and protective orders. Each accused the other of domestic violence, and the commissioner overseeing the case said that the violence goes both ways.
Paul, a founding member of #MomTok and reality star on Hulu’s hit series, reportedly completed all mandated treatment and therapy during her probation. Paul’s parent time with their shared child has been increased at each hearing, and supervision requirements were lifted in July. The state entered the conviction as a Class A misdemeanor, reducing the severity of the aggravated assault charge.
What’s wild is that even as Paul moves forward, the situation with Mortensen remains legally messy. In March 2026, Paul was under investigation for an alleged third domestic violence incident involving her and Mortensen in 2024, which was being led by the West Jordan Police Department. However, the DA confirmed on April 14 that they will not be filing charges against Paul for either of those alleged incidents.
The 16BARS take: Probation done means Paul gets to step back from the courts, but the culture’s watching whether Mormon Wives and The Bachelorette have moved past this, or if the damage to her brand is permanent.
