Taylor Frankie Paul’s love life was public for years, before she was chosen as “The Bachelorette.” Her journey began when she married Tate Paul in 2016 at the age of 22, and quickly created a family that would grow to include two children, Indi and Ocean.
Their relationship attracted attention after Paul spoke publicly about their “soft swinging” arrangement, a setup in which they agreed to explore intimacy with others in a controlled way.Over time, Ball admitted that she had overstepped the boundaries she and Tate had set, adding more pressure to the already fragile dynamic. By 2022, the couple had separated, and Tate filed for divorce, marking the end of their first major partnership.
For Paul, this season was a combination of motherhood, self-discovery, and the early excitement of a life lived in front of the cameras.
A troubled love story with Dakota Mortensen
After breaking up with Tate, Taylor’s romantic life Frankie Paul took a dramatic turn with Dakota Mortensen, a reality TV personality who later appeared alongside her on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Their relationship quickly became one of the show’s central storylines, filled with passion, trust issues, and fiery arguments.
In February 2023, this tension flared in a very public way when Paul was arrested after a physical altercation with Mortensen. The show’s cameras captured part of the incident, and the footage later sparked a wave of backlash and debate about domestic violence, consent and accountability. She faced charges including assault, criminal mischief and domestic violence in the presence of a child, eventually pleading guilty to aggravated assault and accepting a no-contact agreement with Mortensen as part of a plea deal.
Trying to build a family in the midst of chaos
Despite the legal ramifications and intense public scrutiny, Taylor and Dakota remained together for several months. They later expanded their family, welcoming a son named Ever True in March 2024, a moment that highlighted the chaos and true emotional bond they shared. Their relationship continued to be volatile, marked by cheating rumors, multiple breakups, and brief reconciliations, leaving fans and critics watching their every move.By 2025, Paul confirmed on Call Her Daddy that the relationship was over, although some reports indicated that they still had romantic relationships. Shortly thereafter, she was hired as the lead of The Bachelorette, a role that would frame her as a woman ready for a fresh start in love.
A complex present and an uncertain future
The announcement of her season of The Bachelorette coincided with renewed interest in her past, particularly the 2023 altercation and the terms of the plea deal.
As controversy grew, ABC ultimately decided not to move forward with its season, leaving its story in an unfinished open chapter.
A love life under constant scrutiny
Today, the timeline of Taylor’s relationship with Frankie Paul looks less like a neat arc and more like a collision of family, desire, and public judgment. Through marriage, divorce, arrests, reconciliations, and the birth of a third child, one thread remains clear: her life has always been about trying to balance love, loyalty, and the pressures of surveillance.
