Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows a group of Mormon influencers balancing family life, religion, and social media success. A star on the show and considered the leader of “MomTok,” which grew from the show, Taylor Frankie Paul, drew major attention after being cast as the lead on 2026 season of The Bachelorette. She had just previously left an unhealthy relationship with the father of her child, Dakota Mortenson. However, Paul was removed from The Bachelorette role in light of footage of Paul assaulting Mortenson in 2023, published by TMZ. Although the assault filmed had already been handled legally in 2023, many fans responded negatively to the contents of the video.

The decision to remove Paul from the upcoming season of The Bachelorette raises questions about the accountability of public figures. Some felt that removing Paul from the series was the right decision due to the seriousness of the incident. Lila Feldman ’29 shared, “I feel like the decision to remove Paul from The Bachelorette was needed because it somewhat took Paul away from the intense reaction from the public. Remaining on the show would have kept her in the spotlight more than if she wasn’t on the show.” She argued that, had the season aired, Paul would have received overwhelming attention from the internet. However, others believed that since legal action had already been taken years ago, it was an unnecessary decision.

The decision to remove Paul from The Bachelorette position also raises questions around the ethics surrounding reality TV. Since the video was taken around three years prior to The Bachelorette’s decision to not air the show, why did the show only now act upon the footage? The Bachelorette’s decision followed the internet’s negative reaction, which exposes that reality TV decisions are often shaped by public reaction. The fact that public opinion can change casting, storyline, characters and much more reflects how connected social media and television have become.

Additionally, fans noticed how the couple’s child was in the footage during the assault. That their child was present made the situation far more serious. Tatum Schoettle ’26 shared, “it was especially unsettling knowing a child was there while the assault happened because situations like that can leave long lasting emotional effects on the child.” Ella Cammack ’26 added that the child’s presence “made the whole incident more serious and reminds people that these situations have real consequences beyond what the public sees”.

There is an important distinction between holding someone accountable and turning their actions into public drama. Although people should face the consequences for their actions, the public response can sometimes take it further than needed. Their response can sometimes become more focused on anger rather than the real issues and harm being faced during this assault.