Kailyn Lowry he defends passionately Taylor Frankie Paul after ABC canceled it Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star season of The Bachelorette a few days before its start.
“He pleaded guilty. He got help. He did all the things in 2023,” Kailyn, 34, said of Taylor, 31, on the Monday, March 23, episode of her “Coffee Convos” podcast. Lindsey Chrisley.
I The New Mother alum praised Taylor for his accountability and self-improvement efforts after his arrest in February 2023. At the time, Mormon wives star has been charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence involving a child, child abuse and a crime stemming from an argument with his ex. Dakota Mortensen.
“I don’t want to talk about what I didn’t see, which was a child,” Kailyn said, “but I also want to acknowledge the fact that uncontrolled abuse is a reality and that if you’ve ever experienced a bully or someone who was violent first and didn’t picture themselves being violent.”
Taylor eventually pleaded guilty to assault with the intent to drop the other charges. After filing a “plea of dismissal,” his aggravated assault charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor in August of this year if he follows the terms of the agreement, including not breaking any laws. He was placed on probation for 36 months, which will end on August 24.
The agreement also included mandatory counseling, substance abuse and domestic violence screenings.
Dakota Mortensen and Taylor Frankie Paul.
Disney/Fred Hayes“And, I don’t know, I’m just guessing,” Kailyn continued about what happened between the former students during the aforementioned feud. “We will not put him on another level if he fights him and does such things and he is recorded, that is not right.”
On March 16, it was revealed that Dakota, 33, and Taylor are currently involved in an open domestic assault investigation related to a separate incident in February and that “allegations have been made on both sides.”
Days later, TMZ published a video of the 2023 fight, where Taylor was seen throwing steel chairs at Dakota, and her daughter who was seen hitting her daughter, who was on the couch at the time. (Taylor shares daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Father Pauland son Ever, 2, with Dakota.)
A spokesperson for Disney Entertainment Television announced the same day Taylor’s new season The Bachelorette there was no more air.
“Due to the newly released video that surfaced today, we have made the decision not to continue with a new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and are focusing on supporting the family,” the statement read. The season 22 premiere was scheduled for Sunday, March 22.
Taylor’s lawyer also spoke out after the video of her altercation with Dakota leaked.
“It’s heartbreaking to see the latest installment in his relentless, desperate, attention-seeking, hurtful campaign to hurt Taylor without regard for the consequences to their child,” her rep told TMZ. “Releasing an old and specially edited video on their son’s birthday is a criminal attempt to disrupt his behavior.”
Dakota, on the other hand, broke her silence following the news of the domestic assault investigation, with her lawyer saying Entertainment Weekly“His No. 1 priority here is to protect Ever.” Dakota also denied the rumors that she was the one who caused the situation to become public.
