Taylor Frankie Paul let loose on what she described as a fake friend in a fiery Mother's Day post on Sunday. The 31-year-old reality star, whose season of ABC's The Bachelorette was canceled amid domestic violence controversies, appeared to take aim at a former friend who seemed to be Mikayla Matthews, her one-time costar on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Paul, a Colorado-born mother of three—daughter Indy, eight, and son Ocean, five, with ex-husband Tate Paul, and son Ever, two, with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen—went into an extended rant on Instagram about how she was betrayed.
'It's Mother's Day so I'll say whatever I want,' she said. 'As if it's not already the worst time. I have STILL have "friends" kicking me while I'm already down and calling it "setting a boundary" and then BLAMES ME for being upset and responding.'
Matthews on Saturday said in an Instagram Stories post that she had been looking to remain 'as removed as possible' from Paul's ongoing legal and custody battle with Mortensen. She also alluded to keeping 'healthy boundaries' in place with people in her life, as referenced by Paul.
'What a snake friend just did to me in the public eye after everything she just witnessed…the lack of empathy and silence was loud enough,' Paul said. She asked a series of questions ostensibly aimed at Matthews, implicating she was speaking out without knowing the full story.
'Did you see the hearing? Did you see the bruises? Yet she's bringing up 'picking sides'? Yes usually you do for friends you know go through that. Have you been hurt while pregnant? Have you been beaten right after giving birth?'
Paul continued with the barrage of questions: 'Have you lost two babies due to who knows what? Have you gone to jail for finally breaking and taking the only blame for years? Have you been in trouble for getting ready to feel pretty two months postpartum that you cry off your makeup and return to an ugly tee shirt? Can you even understand what I'm saying just from a psychological point?'
On April 30, Paul was granted up to eight hours of 'supervised' visitation with her two-year-old son Ever, who she shares with Mortensen, 33, according to legal documents reviewed by the Daily Mail. The hearing was described by Paul's attorney Eric M. Swinyard as 'a significant step forward as the court entered protective orders requiring that Taylor's ex-partner stays far away from her.'
Swinyard said Paul 'was incredibly candid with the court that she is not perfect and owned her faults, which is in direct contrast to how the other party presented their argument, despite evidence and input from law enforcement that showed otherwise.' He added that Paul 'feels solidarity with the many survivors who have endured similar hardships behind closed doors and shared only part of their stories.'
Paul's Bachelorette season was scrapped in mid-March when a 2023 clip of her attacking Mortensen with her minor daughter present was posted by TMZ. The disturbing video led ABC to abruptly cancel Paul's season just days before it was scheduled to premiere. Disney Entertainment Television said at the time, 'In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.'
Body camera footage from Paul's 2023 arrest showed Mortensen trying to persuade police to take him to jail instead of her. In the clip, published March 23 by TMZ, Paul and Mortensen were bickering as police knocked on the front door. Police separated the two as an aggressive Paul tried to pour herself water and began crying. Mortensen told officers that Paul was 'not doing OK' while showing injuries he alleged came from her. After Paul was arrested, Mortensen asked police if he could go to jail instead, saying he just wanted her 'to get help.'
Paul in August 2023 pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in connection with the February 2023 incident. Four other charges were dropped as part of the deal, and her probation is slated to conclude in August 2026.
