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Taylor Frankie Paul sparked major relationship drama just hours before her Bachelorette announcement. The 31-year-old MomTok star had a brief romance with musician Ben Lambert right before joining the dating show. Now fans are questioning if this pre-show connection affected her journey to find love.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Timeline: Taylor met Ben Lambert on TikTok and flew him to Utah for visits just before her Bachelorette Season 22 announcement in September 2025
- How They Met: Lambert is a country musician and songwriter who caught Taylor’s eye during a TikTok live where he was playing guitar and taking song requests
- The Confession: Taylor stated she had an immediate “crush” on him and kept the relationship casual to avoid jumping in too fast before the show
- Second Season Drama: Season 4 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives features footage of Ben visiting Taylor in Salt Lake City with MomTok friends nearby
How Taylor Frankie Paul and Ben Lambert Connected Online
Taylor revealed she discovered Ben during a TikTok live stream where he was performing songs and taking requests from viewers. She immediately felt drawn to him and asked him to play a specific song, sparking their initial conversation. They exchanged contact information and began communicating regularly over weeks of phone calls before finally meeting in person for the first time.
The 31-year-old reality star explained her instant attraction in a confessional for her Hulu series, saying she didn’t understand her immediate reaction but knew something felt different. Lambert, a talented songwriter with tracks like “Oh My God” and “Scream or Shout” on Spotify, appeared genuinely interested despite knowing Taylor’s commitment to the dating competition.
Taylor Frankie Paul had brief romance with musician Ben Lambert before Bachelorette
Mormon wives Season 4 drops today on Hulu with shocking separations
The Soft-Launch That Started Controversy
In early September 2025, Taylor posted a mysterious Instagram photo dump featuring a man holding a guitar with the caption, “Life’s a little lighter when you’re surrounded by a village and someone who can sing your favorite songs to you.” Fans immediately speculated about her romantic status, but she quickly deleted the post before anyone could identify Ben Lambert by name.
The timing raised eyebrows because just days later, Taylor was announced as the lead for The Bachelorette Season 22 on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast. During her appearance, she addressed the mysterious photo and clarified the relationship wasn’t official, insisting she had met Ben only twice and this wasn’t a “soft-launch” but rather “good practice” for dating after her split from Dakota Mortensen.
Inside Their Utah Visit and MomTok Reaction
| Detail | Information |
| Meeting Location | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Meeting Number | Second in-person encounter |
| Featured On | Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 4 (Hulu) |
| Relationship Status | Casual, not official |
During season 4 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Ben Lambert traveled to Utah to spend time with Taylor in person. MomTok members including Jessi, Mikayla, and Miranda met him and appeared concerned about Taylor’s decision to pursue someone so close to filming The Bachelorette. The group even practiced a mock rose ceremony, with Taylor giving Ben the “first impression rose” and telling him “you felt like home.”
“I know MomTok thinks the whole Ben situation is complicated before The Bachelorette, and sure, it may be to them. But I had already told him that I was going out to do this. I think it’s a first step of opening up to dating, and it’s exciting.”
— Taylor Frankie Paul, on her confessional regarding Ben Lambert
Why Taylor Kept Her Guard Up Before The Bachelorette
Taylor Frankie Paul acknowledged that Ben’s presence in her life was unconventional timing, but she stood firm in her reasons for keeping things light. She explained that after her tumultuous on-and-off relationship with Dakota Mortensen, ending in early 2025, she felt unprepared to commit fully to anyone new. Lambert reportedly understood her situation completely and encouraged her to pursue the reality dating show opportunity.
Ben even told MomTok friends that if Taylor found love on The Bachelorette, he would be happy for her. According to Taylor, he said, “If you meet someone who you’re happier with, then that’s good.” Her castmates expressed worry that “getting close to Ben” might be Taylor subconsciously sabotaging her Bachelorette experience, but she firmly denied their concerns.
Is Taylor Frankie Paul Lost in Love Before the Show Begins?
Taylor Frankie Paul’s love life has been notoriously complicated, from her marriage to Tate Paul ending in 2022 due to the “soft-swinging scandal,” to her tumultuous relationship with Dakota Mortensen and now this mysterious connection with Ben Lambert. As she prepares for The Bachelorette Season 22 premiere on March 22, 2026, fans are wondering if she’ll finally find genuine, lasting love or if her pattern of impulsive relationship decisions will follow her onto the show.
Taylor insisted in her confessional that she’s aware her love life “is always messy,” but she’s simply “having fun” and practicing dating again. Whether her brief connection with guitarist Ben Lambert will become a memorable footnote in her romantic journey or a cautionary tale about getting involved right before one of television’s most intense dating experiments remains to be seen when Season 22 airs later this month.
Sources
- People.com – Comprehensive coverage of Taylor Frankie Paul’s brief romance with Ben Lambert
- National Today – Breaking news about the country musician dating before The Bachelorette
- The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu) – Season 4 episode footage documenting the relationship
