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Reality television star and TikTok influencer Taylor Frankie Paul has officially announced her decision to distance herself from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). In a series of deeply personal social media updates, the 31-year-old Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star revealed she is “detaching” from the faith she was born and raised in following a period of intense public and personal turmoil.
The announcement comes during what Paul described as a “hell on earth” phase of her life, marked by the recent cancellation of her lead role in season 22 of ABC’s The Bachelorette. Production was reportedly halted and eventually scrapped following new developments in a long-standing domestic violence case involving her former partner, Dakota Mortensen. Paul, who has been open about her struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, told her millions of followers that the distress of the last 40 days had caused her body to “break down.”
“Born and raised Mormon (LDS) and I’ll always have love and respect towards it,” Paul wrote in an Instagram Story. “I’ll even continue to go with my family at times. With that being said, it’s time to detach myself from it.”
Despite her departure from the institutional church, Paul emphasized that her spiritual beliefs remains intact. She clarified that she still holds a strong belief in “Christ, God, the Bible, [and] the divine,” suggesting her transition is a move toward a more individualized faith. “I believe we are loved whether we are praying in [a] church building or from a bathroom floor at home,” she added, noting that she has found “grace and love” from people outside the Mormon faith.
The timing of her exit has fueled intense speculation within the “MomTok” community and on platforms like Reddit, where some users have questioned whether the move was entirely voluntary or a preemptive response to potential disciplinary action from church leadership. The LDS church maintains strict moral codes, and Paul’s highly publicized “soft swinging” scandal in 2022, followed by her 2023 arrest and subsequent guilty plea to aggravated assault, had already made her a controversial figure within the religious community.
As of Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not issued a public statement regarding Paul’s membership status. For Paul, the decision
appears to be part of a broader “clean slate” strategy as she navigates ongoing legal investigations and the fallout of her reality TV career.
