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This article is part of <\/span><\/i>Upstream,<\/span><\/i><\/a> The Daily Wire\u2019s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories \u2014 from our featured writers to you.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n ***<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n \u201cThis is called physical abuse,\u201d Dakota Mortensen says in <\/span>leaked cellphone footage<\/span><\/a>\u00a0as his then-girlfriend, \u201cThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wives\u201d star Taylor Frankie Paul, can be seen swinging her fists at his head, pulling his hair, and squeezing her arms around his neck. Appearing to be <\/span>half<\/span><\/a> Mortensen\u2019s size and barely able to land a punch, Paul almost reads like a harmless hot girl throwing a tantrum.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That is, until she manages to lob a metal bar stool across the room at Mortensen and it reportedly strikes her 5-year-old daughter, Indy. Screaming \u201cMommy!\u201d Indy breaks into tears as the camera goes black and the sound keeps rolling.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYour daughter just got hit in the head with a metal chair \u2026 Help your daughter, Taylor,\u201d Mortensen says, asking Indy if she\u2019s okay.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGet away from my daughter,\u201d Paul screams at the top of her lungs. When Mortensen tries to calm her down, she yells, \u201cShut the f*ck up!\u201d The doorbell rings, and law enforcement enters the home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s horrifying to watch. But it also illustrates why domestic abuse perpetrated by <\/span>women toward men<\/span><\/a> goes largely underreported: If little Indy hadn\u2019t been caught in the crossfire, would Mortensen have called the cops on behalf of his own safety? And would anyone have believed he, a man, was a victim of assault?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Considering his abuser, barely <\/span>five-foot-six<\/span><\/a> mom of <\/span>three,<\/span><\/a> Taylor Frankie Paul, who rose to fame by launching the girl power <\/span>MomTok trend<\/span><\/a>, drumming up ratings as one of Hulu\u2019s fan-favorite \u201c<\/span>Mormon Wives<\/span><\/a>,\u201d and raking in profitable collabs with high-profile <\/span>family<\/span><\/a>-friendly <\/span>brands<\/span><\/a>, the answer is probably not.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Somehow, with all the baggage, Paul passed ABC\u2019s <\/span>background check<\/span><\/a> to become \u201cThe Bachelorette\u201d for season 22<\/a> before it was canned. Guys, are we really that short on eligible ladies who haven\u2019t previously pled guilty to <\/span>aggravated assault?<\/span><\/a> Imagine if ABC threw 30 eligible ladies into a home with a known domestic abuser, <\/span>unlimited booze<\/span><\/a>, and a <\/span>Fantasy Suite<\/span><\/a> for the next season of \u201cThe Bachelor.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Justice Department in 2010 funded a <\/span>survey<\/span><\/a> suggesting that men, not women, were most often the victims of \u201cintimate partner physical violence\u201d over the course of a year. It disrupted earlier stats from <\/span>the National Violence Against Women Survey<\/a>, which showed roughly 22% women reporting themselves as victims of domestic abuse and 7% of men claiming the same.<\/p>\n Current statistics regularly point to <\/span>women<\/span><\/a> being the majority of reported victims of domestic violence. So was that one study just a fluke? Are men really the violent monsters they\u2019re made out to be? <\/span>It turns out, men are much <\/span>less likely to speak up<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The lines between <\/span>self-defense and abuse<\/span><\/a> often become blurry when it comes to obviously larger and stronger men fending off female abusers. And many times, <\/span>religion<\/span><\/a> can serve as a barrier to men ultimately walking away from an emotionally abusive scenario at home. As in reports from victimized women, a commitment to a family\u2019s <\/span>children<\/span><\/a> can take priority over self-preservation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For all the talk about advocating for victims, men are more likely to assume they <\/span>won\u2019t be believed<\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Even medical and mental health professionals have been known to treat men with more skepticism than women when handling instances of abuse. \u201cSeeking formal help frequently led to secondary victimization in the form of statements or behavior that could cause them further distress,\u201d trial attorney <\/span>Wendy L. Patrick<\/span><\/a> noted of a study on men who self-reported. \u201cIn fact, seeking formal help itself had a negative impact on well-being, aggravating their victimization.\u201d On top of that, these men may carry residual shame<\/a> from asking for help for the rest of their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n With instances of domestic violence on the <\/span>rise in the U.S.<\/span><\/a>, it\u2019s hard to ignore a systemic breakdown <\/span>we all play some part<\/span><\/a> in trying to heal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Taylor Frankie Paul\u2019s kitchen stool attack led to her arrest back in 2023. Not previously available to the public, the footage leaked this week amid allegations of yet another <\/span>domestic violence incident<\/span><\/a> between the reality star and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, with whom she now <\/span>shares a son<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation,\u201d <\/span>Mortensen<\/span><\/a> said. He responded to claims from Paul that she was the victim in their relationship: \u201cI am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Filming for \u201cSecret Lives of Mormon Wives\u201d season five <\/span>came to a halt<\/span><\/a>, and Paul\u2019s season of \u201cThe Bachelorette\u201d was canceled along with her <\/span>Cinnabon collab<\/span><\/a>. But you can still catch Paul bopping around <\/span>TikTok<\/span><\/a> to Lady Gaga lyrics, acting like she\u2019s \u201c<\/span>kinda busy<\/span><\/a>\u201d as her off-camera life remains an <\/span>open investigation<\/span><\/a>. The 22 men<\/a> who will no longer appear on \u201cThe Bachelorette\u201d dodged a bullet \u2014 and possibly a chair.<\/p>\n ***<\/span><\/p>\n The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n