Key Points
Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen appeared in court amid investigations into domestic violence.
The former couple have a history of related incidents, with an altercation dating back to February 2023 that led to Paul being arrested. She pleaded guilty that August in abeyance to aggravated assault following a domestic violence incident.
After a video of the 2023 altercation was leaked, Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was canceled days before it was set to premiere.
Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen appeared virtually for a court hearing overseen by Commissioner Russell Minas in Utah over custody of their 2-year-old son, Ever, on Tuesday, April 7.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star and her ex-boyfriend are under investigation for three alleged domestic violence incidents. The hearing focused on parent time for Paul and Mortensen’s son, Ever, until their April 30 hearing regarding their respective restraining order filings. (Paul filed a TRO shortly before Tuesday’s hearing.)
Mortensen’s attorney asked for “supervised” visitation for Paul through a facility that can act as a go-between for Ever. She said that she thinks it’s “appropriate for safety” given that it’s a domestic violence case. His attorney alleges that Paul is “out of control” and “completely reckless” in her behavior around Mortensen and Ever.
Paul’s attorney, meanwhile, asked for everything to return to the “status quo” for parent time for Ever that was established in August 2025, which was roughly 70% with Paul and 30% with Mortensen. They also asked for the court to look at more recent events between the former couple as opposed to past events, claiming that Mortensen has no credibility based on these recent incidents.
During the hearing, the attorney references an alleged incident that occurred on Feb. 22 between Paul and Mortensen in a truck where they met to “talk about their relationship.” Per Paul’s lawyer, there is a “huge divergence” in their versions of what happened that evening. The attorney said at the hearing that Paul alleges that Mortensen “grabbed her head during the course of this argument and slammed her head on the dashboard” and struck “her knee and elbow.”
After Mortensen brought her home that night, Paul’s lawyer claimed to the court that Mortensen stuck around and “lingers” on her front door step, looking through the window and “trying to reengage.”
“This supposed victim of domestic violence asks her … ‘Do you want to f—?’ ” Paul’s attorney claimed of Mortensen.
Paul’s attorney argued that is not a risk toward the kids, while Commissioner Minas (the Guardian ad litem) brought up a May 2025 incident when Mortensen was holding the child during a fight. Paul’s lawyer argued in court Mortensen was using Ever “as a human shield” and claimed that he was provoking her, adding that as long as they stay apart, the kids are not unsafe.
The judge recommended supervised parent time for Paul for eight hours a week for the next 23 days, based on the evidence brought to court. They are slated to appear in court next on April 30 for a full hearing on the merits of the protective order.
Paul and Mortensen have a history of domestic violence allegations. In February 2023, Paul and Mortensen got into an argument and Paul began throwing metal stools at Mortensen with Paul’s daughter in the room. Paul was initially charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child, but those charges were dismissed.
She pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault following a domestic violence incident and is on probation until August. Since the arrest, Paul has been open about the incident.
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More recently, in February, Paul and Mortensen had been allegedly involved in two domestic violence incidents (including the one incident detailed in court on Tuesday). Per court documents obtained by TMZ, Mortensen alleged that Paul choked him during an incident on Feb. 23 and he had to use his hands to remove her from him. On Feb. 24, Paul allegedly attacked Mortensen in a car.
“I was unable to safely leave while this was happening, and my child had been left inside the home during the chaos under her watch due to our custody agreement,” Mortensen stated in the docs. He also claimed that in self-defense, he “pushed her away from [him], which she made contact with the passenger seat.”
Amid these investigations, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives paused filming its fifth season in March. A source told Entertainment Weekly that cameras weren’t rolling when the incident took place and that Paul’s children weren’t present. Along with Paul’s son with Mortensen, she and ex-husband Tate Paul share a daughter and a son.
Taylor Frankie Paul in Los Angeles in May 2025
Credit: JC Olivera/Variety via Getty
After footage of the fight between Paul and Mortensen leaked on March 19, ABC made the decision to pull the plug on Paul’s season of The Bachelorette days before it was set to premiere.
“It’s sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child,” Paul’s rep told Entertainment Weekly in a statement in response to the video leaking.
“Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences.”
Mortensen also released a statement after the video leaked. “As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation,” Mortensen said. “I 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.”
On March 20, Mortensen was granted a temporary restraining order against Paul. He has also been granted temporary custody of his and Paul’s son, Ever.
On March 25, it was revealed that an alleged third domestic violence incident was under investigation. “The West Jordan Police Department is currently investigating an incident involving Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen. The allegations were reported at the end of February 2026, and detectives have reviewed video believed to have been recorded in early to mid-2024,” the police told EW in a statement.
“Investigators are actively working to gather and verify information and are in the process of interviewing those involved. At this time, no charges have been filed, as the investigation remains ongoing.”
Dakota Mortensen in Los Angeles in May 2025
Credit: Araya Doheny/Getty
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
