Taylor Frankie Paul has addressed the critics who doubt she's starring on The Bachelorette for "the right reasons."
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Taylor, 31, already has more than seven million followers across her social media accounts after creating the #MomTok sensation, and she also stars on Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which premiered its fourth season on March 12.
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Given Taylor is a divorced mom of three kids who went through a highly-publicized breakup with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, many fans have been questioning her motivation for accepting The Bachelorette gig.
Some fans even believe that Taylor is still hung up on Dakota, whom Taylor admittedly hooked up with after their official split.
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Taylor -- who broke up with Dakota in late 2024 but didn't publicly reveal their breakup until early 2025 -- told Us Weekly of such gossip, "That's completely valid to think that and to see that."
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' third season showed Dakota and Taylor contemplating a reconciliation last year, but allegations Dakota had sexted Taylor's family friend ruined any chance of that happening.
Taylor also accused a former friend of sleeping with Dakota in late October.
However, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' fourth season recently showed Taylor in bed with Dakota shortly before leaving to film The Bachelorette's 22nd season.
While some viewers -- in addition to one of her The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives co-stars -- don't think Taylor was ready for The Bachelorette, Taylor said "it was a choice" to move on from Dakota despite their strong chemistry and the fact they're raising a son, Ever True, together.
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"It took me making those decisions [with Dakota] to be ready for something else," Taylor explained to the magazine.
"A lot of these decisions aren't the best, but I think I'm so open with it and honest, and even as many times as I backtracked, I still am open."
She continued, "Something I've [also] learned over the course of time is being okay being misunderstood."
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Taylor insisted her decision to star on The Bachelorette wasn't about skyrocketing her fame, gaining more followers, or even getting engaged again.
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"Who gets this opportunity as a single mom to just purely focus on dating and love and yourself? It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Taylor shared.
"That is why I was there. And anyone that doesn't want to believe that, that's their own issue."
Taylor is known for being unapologetically herself, sharing her mistakes and the chaotic parts of her life with fans.
Taylor often opens up about her mental health, and she's a huge advocate of being one's authentic and genuine self.
After ABC selected Taylor to star on The Bachelorette's 22nd season in September 2025, the network described her as "raw" in her storytelling, which provides fans with "comedic, heartwarming and bitingly-honest content."
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"[Taylor] shares the highs and lows of her life with unfiltered candor," ABC said. "With humor, resilience and a fearless openness, she inspires others to embrace life's chaos and own their story."
Taylor was famously wrapped up in a soft-swinging scandal with her ex-husband Tate Paul in which she admitted to breaking the couple's rules by being more intimate with a man in their Mormon social circle.
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Following Taylor's May 2022 divorce from Tate -- with whom she shares daughter, Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5 -- she began dating Dakota.
Taylor publicly confirmed her romance with Dakota in July 2022, and then in 2023, she was arrested for assault and other charges stemming from a fight with him.
Although Taylor and Dakota's romance came to a fiery end, she said she still believes in love, whether a second marriage is in the cards for her or not.
Taylor concluded that she's "happy" after filming The Bachelorette, which is set to premiere on Sunday, March 22 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.
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