Joy Behar Says New ‘Bachelorette’ Star Is ‘Looking for Baby Daddy No. 3’

Joy Behar offered a tongue-in-cheek reaction to the news that Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul will be the next Bachelorette.

“She has three kids and two baby daddies. So will these Bachelors line up to be baby daddy No. 3?” Joy, 82, joked on The View on Friday, September 12, after playing an interview clip of Taylor discussing her “two baby daddies” on the “Call Her Daddy’ podcast.

The View panel were discussing ABC’s announcement on Wednesday, September 10, that the Hulu reality star, 31, had been chosen for season 22 of The Bachelorette. Taylor and ex-husband Tate Paul share daughter Indy May, 8, and son Ocean Paul, 5, while she also shares son Ever True, 17 months, with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.

During the View segment, Behar quipped: “Isn’t that the whole point of the show? To find your lover and get married … OK, she’s got a little bit of baggage.”

Behar’s cohost Sara Haines praised Taylor’s Bachelorette casting as “A-level synergy” between ABC and Hulu after Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast members Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt recently joined Dancing With the Stars season 34.

“[They] need to come promote it on The View and really do that crossover,” panelist Alyssa Farah Griffin teased.

More seriously, Griffin, 36, admitted she was “very conflicted” over ABC choosing someone outside of Bachelor Nation for the next season of The Bachelorette.

“My mom was texting me, had strong feelings about it,” Griffin shared with her View cohosts. “It’s always been someone within the Bachelor franchise. … This is someone outside the franchise. [Taylor] has had a colorful past.”

She went on, “I don’t judge women for having kids with different men. She’s had actually a pretty challenging life and you get a glimpse into her family if you watched Mormon Wives. It’s tough. They navigate a very restrictive religion. She’s stepped out of the faith and now is trying to find herself.”

Despite her reservations about the casting, Griffin ultimately predicted that Taylor will be “excellent” on The Bachelorette because she’s “super authentic and extremely chaotic.”

“Those [qualities] are both great for reality TV,” Griffin declared as the panel and audience members chuckled.

When Sunny Hostin expressed confusion over how Taylor could agree to be on a dating show like The Bachelorette given her family’s faith, Haines and Behar reminded her that the Mormon Wives star is no longer a practicing Mormon.

Behar and Haines also pointed out that Taylor had previously appeared on The View to discuss her friend group’s practice of “soft swinging.” (Taylor revealed on “The Viall Files” podcast in September 2024 that she and ex-husband Tate started casually exploring other partners before their divorce.)

“Not all Mormons are the same,” Behar added. “[Next] you’re gonna hear [former Utah Senator] Mitt Romney is soft swinging.”

Romney’s friend and former advisor Ana Navarro interrupted: “I don’t want to think about Mitt Romney swinging on anything!”

When ABC announced Taylor’s casting on Wednesday, the network promised that “the 31-year-old Utah native [was] ready to trade headline-making heartbreak for hometown dates as she begins making her mark on Bachelor Nation.”

“[Taylor] is the breakout star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, captivating millions with her raw, unapologetic storytelling. Offscreen, she’s a TikTok powerhouse whose comedic, heartwarming and bitingly honest content has earned her a massive following,” ABC said. “As a single mother of three, [Taylor] shares the highs and lows of her life with unfiltered candor. With humor, resilience and a fearless openness, she inspires others to embrace life’s chaos and own their story.”

Taylor spoke exclusively to Us Weekly on Wednesday about how The Bachelorette might impact her ex-boyfriend Mortensen, from whom she split in late 2024.

“I don’t know exactly how he’ll react or feel, but he does know that we opened the gates of dating other people,” she told Us. “[He’ll] probably [be] sad. I assume that it’s like, ‘Whoa, she’s gonna be dating people, a lot, and then also, in front of me,’ and that’s probably gonna be kind of hard to watch.”

She continued, “I can’t speak for him, but I’d assume it wouldn’t be the best news he’s heard on that day.”

Taylor also confirmed to Us that she didn’t tell Mortensen about joining The Bachelorette before her casting was announced.

“Had so many curve balls today and every time I am always reminded there is nothing more important than God and family ❤️,” Mortensen, 32, wrote via his Instagram Stories after Taylor’s announcement. “Life is too short.”

The Bachelorette is expected to return on ABC in 2026, while The Golden Bachelor kicks off Mel Owens’ search for love on Wednesday, September 24, at 8 p.m. ET.