Taylor Frankie Paul offered a candid update on her mental health following The Bachelorette scandal earlier this year.
“The psychological torture damaged me way more than the physical,” Paul, 32, captioned an Instagram Story on Wednesday, May 27. “You eventually become a shell of a human. This is hard to share because it’s hard to come to terms with.”
The caption was written over a photo of what appeared to be Paul’s bare arm sporting a large bruise. It looked like the reality star had just gotten out of the shower after snapping the photo. It’s unclear when the image was taken.
Paul also shared an update on her healing process.
“Started EMDR therapy today. I’ve done a bit. Full dive this time,” she shared in a separate social media post on Wednesday. “It’s intense and extremely effective for PTSD/Trauma.”
Paul has continued to make headlines for her tumultuous relationship with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen after her Bachelorette season was pulled from the air in March.
Earlier this month, Paul claimed she has been in “survival mode for years” when reflecting on trauma she’s experienced “physically, hormonally, mentally, and emotionally.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star appeared to be reflecting on her on-again, off-again relationship with Mortensen, 33, however, she did not refer to him by name.
“It’s so sad because nobody wants to be like this. I hate that I am no longer myself. I hate that I stayed for so long,” she wrote on May 14. “I blame nobody more than my own damn self, because how did I allow this for my kids and myself for so long? I’m sorry to THEM. I don’t need to log off and remain silent. I’ve already admitted in court I’m fully NOT INNOCENT, I know that. None of it is OK, period.”
Elsewhere in the lengthy caption, she addressed the public’s questions about her failing to leave the relationship.
“Let’s look at how it ended for me when I finally did,” Paul continued, claiming that she was “love bombed, then manipulated, threatened [and] physically hurt.” Paul noted that she had the “cops called on me” and was “publicly humiliated,” because she said “no more.”
Taylor Frankie Paul Shares ‘Ugly Parts’ of ‘Healing’ After Domestic Dispute
ABC announced in March that they had decided to pull Paul’s Bachelorette season off the air after footage of a 2023 domestic violence incident between her and Mortensen resurfaced. (Paul pleaded guilty to third-degree felony aggravated assault after the incident as part of a plea deal.)
She and Mortensen were also being investigated by Utah police for a separate domestic violence incident from earlier this year. They declined to file charges.
Last month, Paul and Mortensen were granted protective orders against each other. They are still in the midst of a custody battle over 2-year-old son Ever. (Paul is also the mother to daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul.)
Mortensen currently has temporary custody and they are set to appear in court for another hearing on June 1.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
