Taylor Frankie Paul has revealed the real reason why she decided to star on The Bachelorette.

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"I didn't have to do this," Taylor, 31, told Us Weekly in a lengthy cover-story interview.

"There was no other reason for me to do this other than I wanted to get outside of Utah and the toxicity that I'm in and venture off and really do something for myself."

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The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star and #MomTok creator insisted that starring on The Bachelorette wasn't about skyrocketing her fame, gaining more followers on social media, or even getting engaged again.

For Taylor, she apparently chose to date on reality TV to put herself first and break her on-again, off-again cycle with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.

"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 noted.

"That is why I was there."

Following Taylor's May 2022 divorce from ex-husband Tate Paul -- 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.

Taylor and Dakota eventually welcomed son Ever True in March 2024, but they broke up before the end of that year.

Taylor didn't publicly confirm her split from Dakota until early 2025; however, and she admitted on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast late last year that she had hooked up with Dakota following their split.

Taylor's mother, Liann, also revealed on "The Ben & Ashley I: Almost Famous Podcast" in October that Taylor and Dakota still loved each other.

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The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' third season showed Dakota and Taylor contemplating a reconciliation, 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.

A teaser for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' fourth season, which premieres March 12 on Hulu, shows Taylor in bed with Dakota shortly before leaving to film The Bachelorette's 22nd season.

While some fans -- and even maybe some of Taylor's bachelors -- didn't think Taylor was ready for The Bachelorette, Taylor said "it was a choice" to move on from Dakota.

"Ready, at the end of the day, is a decision," Taylor told Us.

"So I made the decision to leave for two months and try. I reassured them that was why I was here."

Dakota, for his part, revealed earlier this year that he's seeing someone new and just wants the best for Taylor.

Taylor also shared that there was something "freeing" about her 22 bachelors being aware of her messy past, even though it meant she didn't always "look the best."

Despite going through two very public and highly-scrutinized breakups, Taylor 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.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)

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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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