Taylor Frankie Paul has officially avoided formal charges in the domestic violence case involving her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, leaving fans wondering if her season of “The Bachelorette” will finally see the light of day.
Disney recently addressed the future of the scrapped season and there may be some hope for it in the future.
In an exclusive interview with Deadline, Disney’s reality television chief, Rob Mills, spoke about the possibility of Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” airing at some point.
“The day all of that stuff happened, really our first sort of concern was really for Taylor and the family and everyone involved in that, it was really more on a human level,” he said.
“Now, we’re sort of taking it a day at a time,” Mills said, after “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star avoided domestic violence charges. “I think her season is a wonderful season, by ‘Bachelor’ standards. If it gets seen, I’m sure people will absolutely enjoy it.”
There have been rumors that if Paul’s “Bachelorette” season doesn’t air on ABC, as it has since its inception, it could possibly stream on Hulu instead. However, neither option has been confirmed.
Paul’s Future On ‘Mormon Wives’ Is Up To Her Following End of Domestic Violence Investigation
Per The Hollywood Reporter, the “Mormon Wives” production team is letting Taylor Frankie Paul take the lead on when (and in what capacity) she wants to return to the show.
An inside source close to Paul also revealed to the outlet that production continues to remain supportive of Paul, and is ready to film with her at her own pace “if and when she is ready.”
Paul previously shut down claims from PEOPLE that the show would resume production without her, writing in the Instagram comments of the post, “Interesting, that’s not the call I got.”
The Reality Star Admitted She ‘Cried’ After Learning The Outcome Of The Domestic Violence Case
Per Us Weekly, on April 14, Paul took to her Instagram Stories to respond to the news that local Salt Lake City prosecutors decided not to press charges against her in a pair of incidents involving Mortensen.
“Cried when I got the call. THANK YOU to those that have stood with me,” she wrote in a post that featured a floral arrangement and a card.
Lack Of Evidence And Statue Of Limitations: The Reason For Paul’s Legal Fate
The office of Salt Lake City district attorney Sim Gill released a statement confirming that no charges against Taylor Frankie Paul would be filed, citing a lack of evidence and the statute of limitations as the reasons.
“After reviewing reports and evidence submitted to the Draper Police Department and West Jordan Police Department, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office has declined to file charges against Taylor Frankie Paul,” the statement read, per Deadline.
“The complainant in these cases reported several incidents – some of which occurred more than three years ago,” the statement said. “Any incidents of misdemeanor offenses which are alleged to have occurred more than two years ago are barred by the statute of limitations. Incidents which are alleged to have occurred within the statute of limitations have also been reviewed.”
“Several incidents that were submitted do not rise to the level of criminal offenses,” the DA’s statement continued. “The remaining incidents lack sufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges where the State must be able to prove such allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. Such incidents lack specificity as to when and what actually occurred or corroboration.”
Taylor Frankie Paul Was Recently Granted Temporary Restraining Order Against Ex
On April 8, Paul was granted a temporary restraining order against Mortensen, alleging that he was physically abusive toward her, which is the same claim he made when filing the same protective order against her that was also granted by a judge.
According to the court documents, Mortensen is not allowed within 100 yards of Paul until their next court hearing later this month.
The documents also reveal that Mortensen cannot email, text, call, or otherwise communicate with Paul. During the upcoming court hearing, the court will determine if a permanent restraining order should be put in effect against either of them.