'Bachelorette' star Taylor Frankie Paul says domestic violence allegations feel 'like the end of the world'

The alleged incident occurred weeks before Paul's season of "The Bachelorette" begins airing March 22.

"I'm a person that will always speak my truth, and that's what I'm known for. And, so, when the time is right, I will be. But right now, just trying to be in the present moment and focus on this.

"My kids do come first," Paul emphasized. "My kids come first, and so it's been like just a back-and-forth process trying to be here in the present moment, you know, worrying about home and headlines. It's been stressful to be honest."

"It's hard to see past this - I'm not going to lie - in this moment. It's just so heavy," Paul said. "When your life is broadcasted out there in these headlines, it's like the end of the world, that's what it feels like, I'm not going to lie.

"I will say I've been here before, and I got through it. And I've shared my story and my light, and I'm hoping I can do that again."

Fox News Digital reached out to Draper Police Department for additional information.

"His No. 1 priority here is protecting [their 2-year-old son], Ever," the rep said. "He knew there was a possibility it could come out, but he was not going to be the one to proactively do that because he has always wanted a decent relationship with Taylor. It's been really hard to achieve that, but he wants to co-parent well.

"He was just hoping that if he says nothing, as he usually does, it would go away. He's never done any kind of sit-down interview about his side," the rep continued. "He kind of just lets it all happen to him, and I think he realizes with the severity of everything now that he just can't do that."

The complaint, filed in 2023, alleged that Paul threw a phone, a wooden play set and "heavy metal chairs" at Mortensen. One of the chairs allegedly hit one of her children who was sitting next to her then-boyfriend on the couch during their argument.

Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, while the other four charges were dropped.

"It was a regret," she previously told Fox News Digital about her arrest. "Hitting rock bottom, there's only one way to go, and it helped me to go up. So, honestly, as bad as that night was, I think it was also like a blessing in disguise and maybe could have saved my life in a weird way, like, where I was just drowning in misery."

Paul shares a son with Mortensen. The two officially ended their relationship in December 2024, after the birth of their son but have kept up on-and-off romantic contact with each other since.

Paul also shares two children with her ex-husband, Tate Paul.