Whitney Leavitt is “still processing” her “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” castmate Taylor Frankie Paul’s domestic violence scandal that’s rocked the reality TV world.
Filming halted on “SLOMW” earlier this month as Paul, 31, was being investigated for alleged domestic violence against her ex Dakota Mortensen stemming from an incident that occurred in February.
The situation escalated after TMZ published a shocking video of Paul attacking Mortensen with a chair in 2023 while her daughter, 8-year-old Indy — who was 5 at the time — cried nearby.
Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” was then abruptly canceled.
Leavitt broke her silence on the situation during a Q&A with Interview magazine published Wednesday, noting, “I have a lot of emotions about it and I’m still processing everything that’s happening, but the safety of human beings, especially children, comes first. Always, period, the end.”
“And I don’t want that to be tolerated,” she continued. “I don’t want that to be overlooked.”
“It’s just so fresh,” she added. “That’s all I have to say about that.”
Weeks before Paul was axed as the next “Bachelorette,” her “SLOMW” castmates had already told ABC executives that they had serious concerns about continuing the show if Paul stayed involved, NBC News previously reported.
The tense Zoom meeting reportedly occurred on March 7, shortly after the February incident involving Paul and Mortensen, in which she allegedly choked him during a heated argument while their 2-year-old son, Ever, was present.
The cast flagged fears about safety, reputational damage and the future of the Hulu series as allegations against Paul continued to mount, according to audio of the meeting obtained by the outlet.
“It’s a dangerous situation, it’s a sad situation, and we don’t know how to navigate it, because Taylor is our friend,” they allegedly said at the meeting.
Ultimately, they agreed to pause filming for Season 5.
Meanwhile, Paul’s legal issues are continuing to mount.
Utah police are currently investigating allegations of a third domestic violence incident involving her and Mortensen, 33.
“The West Jordan Police Department is currently investigating an incident involving Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen,” a spokesperson for the department told Page Six. “The allegations were reported at the end of February 2026, and detectives have reviewed video believed to have been recorded in early to mid-2024.”
“Investigators are actively working to gather and verify information and are in the process of interviewing those involved. At this time, no charges have been filed, as the investigation remains ongoing.”
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