Clearing the air.

Taylor Frankie Paul is making history as the franchise’s first-ever leading lady to not previously come from within Bachelor Nation. 

Her journey to find love and begin handing out roses is set to start later this month on March 22, and we cannot wait to tune in. 

Ahead of her highly anticipated season premiere, Taylor spoke exclusively with Us Weekly about her “Bachelorette” journey and addressed concerns about her past with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen and more.

A trailer for the new season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” was released earlier this year, and in it, Taylor is seen in bed with Dakota. 

When asked about their relationship and “hooking up” with Dakota before leaving for “The Bachelorette,” Taylor answered candidly. 

She said. “Honestly, I think it was just still in the same cycle that I’ve been in for a while now, and it’s been really hard to get out... It’s been so hard to remove myself from that.” 

Taylor continued, addressing viewers’ possible concerns about whether or not she’s still into Dakota. 

“That’s completely valid to think that and to see that,” she affirmed. “It took me making those decisions [with Dakota] to be ready for something else. A lot of these decisions aren’t the best, but I think I’m so open with it and honest, and even as many times as I backtracked, I still am open. Something I’ve [also] learned over the course of time is being okay being misunderstood.”

The Bachelorette admitted that due to the nature of her relationship with her ex, it made it difficult to move on. However, she was ready and tried her best to reassure the men on her season that she was there “for the right reasons.” 

She stated, “It was hard because I’m, obviously, a part of that — it’s not like I am pointing the finger like, ‘He is [the toxic one.]’ It takes two to tango. We were just not progressing. We like each other sometimes, and then we fight. It’s really hard to explain to people and unless you’ve been in that situation, it is hard to understand.”

“If I could just snap out of it, trust me, I would. It’s just a lot harder said than done… It was a choice. Ready, at the end of the day, is a decision. So I made the decision to leave for two months and try. I reassured [the men] that was why I was here.”

Read the rest of Taylor's interview in the article above, and get a sneak peek into her first night as the Bachelorette HERE.