Love drives people crazy. Whether it’s someone who one is currently in love with, or someone who has previously had that power. Adoration makes people make bizarre decisions, but so does ego. Reality TV and Bachelorette star, Taylor Frankie Paul, has recently been caught up in some controversy, which is nothing new for her. When the fourth season of the reality TV show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, was released on March 12, it dove into Paul’s new and improved dating life after her break-up with ex-boyfriend and baby daddy, Dakota Mortenson. The season navigated challenges as she started to seek out relationships again and prepared for her feature on the Bacheletorette, which was supposed to be aired on March 22. However, the season ended up being pulled from airing by ABC after a video of Paul throwing a chair at Mortenson while her child was nearby was released. It is most likely that the network cancelled the season in order to prevent their company from being cancelled.
The incident had been addressed and acknowledged in season one of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, where Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was placed on probation. Still, with this knowledge, Disney continued to pull the season three days before its premiere on March 19.
While I believe that domestic violence is never okay, I also believe that there is something not being shown in this video. Anyone who has tuned into SLOMW for even an episode can tell you that Paul and Mortenson’s relationship was extremely toxic. Every time they appeared to cut ties with each other, they seemed to find their way back within the next few weeks. Viewers can also attest to the fact that Mortenson often seemed to egg his now ex-girlfriend on. In the recently released video with Paul throwing the chair, I believe that this was incited violence. It is extremely challenging to catch domestic violence on film, and the fact that he caught Paul in the act is rare. It is extremely obvious that the two were in an abusive relationship based on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. I don’t condone what happened in the slightest, but I think that it is extremely likely that he provoked her to do what she did.
The time of the video’s release is also extremely suspicious. Mortenson had possession of that video for over two years before its release. The fact that it entered the social media world just three days before the premiere of The Bachelorette shows that Mortenson and his team knew what they were doing. Many argue that this was a planned debacle in an attempt to ruin Paul’s chance of finding love or gaining more popularity.
Since the cancellation of season 22 of The Bachelorette, Paul has detached not only from the scandal but from the Mormon church as a whole. On April 6, she posted an Instagram story stating that she was taking a step back from the LDS church, but not Christianity. According to Today, she said, “I strongly believe in Christ, God, the bible, the divine. I believe we are loved whether we are praying in a church building or from a bathroom floor at home.” She expressed her mental health struggles that she has been experiencing over the past few months, which had her questioning her faith. Although she had shared her turmoil with the Mormon church, she continues to believe in Jesus and His blessings.
Love is arguably the meaning of life, and religion is an important factor in that for millions. Everyone experiences trials and tribulations, and no two people act the same way when facing these difficulties. Although domestic violence is never the answer, neither is provoking actions in an attempt to get a reaction out of it.
