In a surprise casting, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul has been tapped to lead the next season of The Bachelorette — a role normally handed to non-famous civilians.
The news was revealed on Wednesday’s episode of Alex Cooper’s popular Call Her Daddy podcast — and has sparked debate among fans.
Paul has courted controversy in the past, such as when her MomTok video about “soft swinging” among her group of Mormon influencer friends went viral, ruining friendships and leading to her divorce from husband Tate Paul.
Then, in 2023, Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault stemming from an incident with her then-boyfriend and father of her third child, Dakota Mortensen. Ultimately, a plea deal was reached in that case.
After Paul’s Bachelorette casting was announced, fans of the hit ABC show voiced their support — and concerns — online.
“I have to say I’m not a fan of Taylor Frankie Paul being the next Bachelorette. ABC is wild for that. She is toxic and so is her family. Guess they are desperate for ratings,” one wrote on X, while another agreed: “Dare I say… I don’t think she’s done the growth to be the bachelorette… it’ll be a mess to watch… but I don’t think she’s going to have a long relationship come from this.”
Others were more supportive of the news. One person wrote on X: “Having Taylor Frankie Paul from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives as the next Bachelorette is quite possibly one of the smartest moves in the reality television space that I’ve seen in years!” while someone else agreed: “Taylor frankie paul as the next bachelorette is going to be peak reality television.”
The Bachelorette (a spin-off of The Bachelor) follows one woman who dates a group of roughly 25 to 30 men over the course of a season. Each week, she eliminates contestants during rose ceremonies until just two remain, with the finale typically culminating in a proposal.
Speaking to Cooper about her feelings on becoming the new Bachelorette, Paul said: “Surreal. It has not hit me right now in this moment. 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.”
Admitting she is “nervous,” Paul continued: “How did I get here? In my head, I’m like, ‘How is this happening?’ That’s my answer.” The mother of three said she’s previously joked about starring on the show on TikTok, but never saw it as an “attainable” goal.
The news comes as Paul’s Secret Lives of Mormon Wives co-stars Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt were announced among the cast of this season’s Dancing with the Stars, which Paul said helped her decision.
“How do I make this work? I’m a co-parent. I have two baby daddies, not one, so I’m dealing with two different people, my children. My home base is here. Can I travel that long? Can I be gone that long?” Paul said.
“But then I’m also thinking on the side, the other two moms that are in my group [Affleck and Leavitt] are doing Dancing with the Stars, and they brought their family out, but also they have their husbands, so for me, I’m like, is this possible for me to do as a single mom? Can I make it work realistically, no matter how much I want this? And I was like, I can, if you want to, you can and it comes down to that, so I was just like, I will make it work... I can ask for help more,” she added.
Paul also confirmed she will continue to appear on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
“I think most of them are going to be happy for me and support me,” Paul said of her Hulu reality show co-stars. “I can’t speak for everyone and what they actually truly think, you know, never really know. But I think we’re all kind of doing our own thing, so everyone is getting their own shots, it’s not just about her, her, her.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows a group of women in Utah’s Mormon community, documenting their friendships, family dynamics, and personal struggles.
The all-new season of The Bachelorette will debut on ABC and Hulu in 2026, and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives returns November 13, 2025.
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