Former Bachelor contestant Sydney Warner is sharing her thoughts on Taylor Frankie Paul being the next Bachelorette.
Warner, who is married to NFL linebacker Fred Warner, starred on Peter Weber‘s season of The Bachelor in 2020.
“This is so upsetting. I am a result of being on The Bachelor, I owe a lot to that franchise,” Warner wrote in a since-expired Instagram Story on Sunday, Mar. 15 while watching season 4 of Mormon Wives. “The Bachelor is one of the most iconic shows of all time & was so highly respected because they held the contestants to such a high standard. It was such an honor to be on the cast, let alone be casted as the LEAD. That’s life changing.”
“To watch this and see the soon to be lead completely disrespect the stage that she has been given, the men who put their entire lives on hold to come and meet her is horrible,” she continued. “What has happened to morals and values? Clearly this person is not mentally well and for them to cast someone like this just to get views is beyond me. I know this is a dying franchise but why not let the show die out with class and dignity and not stoop down & claw and scrape just to get views.”
She concluded, “I feel so so bad for those guys. Seriously this is hard to watch someone completely not care about something so prestigious that so many girls would do anything to be given.”
Paul’s relationship with her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen was a major plot point during season 4 of the hit reality show, which premiered on Thursday, Mar. 12.
The season followed Paul as she prepared to become the next Bachelorette. However, in the weeks leading up to filming, she and Mortensen hooked up several times—much to the dismay of their co-stars.
In the season 4 finale, it was revealed that Paul and Mortensen spent the night together the day before she was supposed to leave to film The Bachelorette, causing her to miss her flight the following morning.
RELATED: ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Production Paused After Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen Blowup
On Monday, Mar. 16, one day after Warner’s statement, it was reported that production for season 5 of the hit Hulu reality series had been halted following an alleged domestic violence incident between Paul and Mortensen.
According to TMZ, who spoke with sources connected to the series, production shut down following a “heated blowup” between Paul and Mortensen.
The outlet says it’s unclear what sparked the argument, but the situation became too intense for filming to continue as planned.
People later confirmed the report on Monday, Mar. 16.
“They are not filming,” a source told the publication of Mormon Wives. “Taylor [Frankie Paul] has some pretty serious stuff happening regarding her past, and they will see what happens. Until that resolves, they are off.”
A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department also confirmed to People that there is an open “domestic assault investigation” regarding Paul and Mortensen.
The spokesperson confirmed “allegations have been made in both directions” and “contact was made with involved parties on [Feb] 24th and 25th,” but declined to share any further details.
In 2023, Paul was arrested for alleged domestic violence following an argument with Mortensen. She was given misdemeanor charges of assault, criminal mischief, and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child, after she was accused of throwing a chair at Mortensen that hit her daughter.
Paul ultimately pleaded guilty to a single charge of aggravated assault, and the domestic violence charges were dismissed as part of the plea deal. She is currently serving a 3-year probation.
RELATED: ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Cast Is Refusing to Work With Taylor Frankie Paul After Alleged Domestic Violence Incident
Paul and Mortensen share son Ever True, almost 2, while Paul has kids Indy, 8, and Ocean, 5, with her ex-husband Tate Paul.
Paul’s season of The Bachelorette premieres Sunday, Mar. 22 on ABC and streams the next day on Hulu and Disney+.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic violence, help is available 24 hours a day through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.
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