Joy Behar on Friday took aim at the casting of Taylor Frankie Paul as the next Bachelorette, teasing that the reality star had “a little bit of baggage” because she is the mother of three children by two different fathers.
On ABC’s The View, Behar, 82, referenced a clip from Paul’s recent Call Her Daddy podcast interview in which the Hulu star discussed co-parenting. “She has three kids and two baby daddies. So will these bachelors line up to be baby daddy No. 3?” Behar asked, later adding, “Isn’t that the whole point of the show? To find your lover and get married?”
Fellow panelist Alyssa Farah Griffin said she felt “very conflicted” about the network’s choice, noting that Paul is an unconventional pick who came from outside the Bachelor franchise. “My mom was texting me, had strong feelings about it,” Griffin said. She also acknowledged Paul’s difficult personal history and departure from the Latter-day Saints faith, saying the Hulu series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives provided viewers a glimpse into the challenges Paul and her family navigated.
Paul, 31, rose to prominence as the creator of a #MomTok community that inspired the Hulu series. She has three children: daughter Indy May, 8, and son Ocean Paul, 5, whom she shares with her ex-husband Tate Paul, and son Ever True, 17 months, whom she shares with her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen. On The View, hosts discussed Paul’s co-parenting concerns as aired on her podcast.
Sarah Haines framed the casting as “A-level synergy” between ABC and Hulu, pointing out that other cast members from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — including Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt — recently appeared on Dancing With the Stars Season 34. Griffin predicted the forthcoming Bachelorette season would be “excellent,” calling Paul “super authentic and extremely chaotic.”
Paul first attracted widespread attention in 2022 after she said she and her then-husband had been involved in what she described as a “soft-swinging” arrangement with other Mormon couples; her co-stars have publicly denied participating in the activity. The conversation resurfaced in media coverage after Paul’s Bachelorette casting was announced.
A representative for Paul did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Page Six. The decision to cast a reality star from an outside franchise reignites discussion about the Bachelor producers’ casting strategy as the show seeks new draw and cross-platform attention.
The View’s comments underscore a broader debate in entertainment coverage over how reality television frames romantic relationships, family structures and past controversies when a contestant’s personal life becomes part of a season’s narrative. Paul’s season will be watched for both its interpersonal drama and how producers portray the complexities of her family and public history.