SALT LAKE CITY — Legal representatives for reality television personality Taylor Frankie Paul from ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ and her former boyfriend will appear before a Utah judge Thursday, each seeking long-term protective orders against the other in a dispute that will impact custody of their toddler.
Paul and Dakota Mortensen, who share a 2-year-old son, are both requesting that a court convert temporary restraining orders into permanent protections, with each accusing the other of domestic abuse.
During an April 7 court session, Third District Court Commissioner Russell Minas stated he had ‘concerns going both ways’ regarding the mutual allegations. The commissioner currently prohibits Paul from having unsupervised visits with her child due to what he described as a pattern of aggressive conduct toward Mortensen when children were nearby.
The former couple, whose troubled relationship was prominently featured on their reality show, must maintain a distance of at least 100 feet from each other until Thursday’s afternoon proceeding. Court officials expect both parties to attend in person after participating virtually in the previous hearing.
Court documents reveal that attorneys are examining eleven separate incidents of conflict between the former partners. A recently surfaced video from one 2023 altercation led ABC to take the unusual step of canceling an already-completed season of ‘The Bachelorette’ featuring Paul. Hulu temporarily halted production on ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ before resuming filming last week.
The leaked footage shows Paul appearing to strike, kick and hurl furniture at Mortensen while her daughter observed and became distressed. Authorities charged Paul with aggravated assault and additional violations, including domestic violence committed in a child’s presence. Police body camera video from her arrest was included in the Hulu series’ debut season.
Paul entered a guilty plea to the assault charge, which will be downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor if she avoids legal issues during a three-year probation period ending in August. Prosecutors dropped the remaining charges.
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office recently decided against filing additional charges against Paul for more recent confrontations with Mortensen. New criminal charges would have constituted a violation of her probation from the 2023 assault case.
The decision not to pursue prosecution may strengthen Paul’s position as she works to restore custody rights for her son.
Utah’s protective order system can limit or completely eliminate parental visitation rights. When one parent obtains such an order against the other, court officials may determine that parent should receive custody. In cases where both parents have orders against each other, judges rely heavily on recommendations from court-appointed advocates investigating the child’s welfare.
The couple’s son, Ever, will have a court-appointed legal representative present during Thursday’s hearing to assist the commissioner in establishing the most secure living situation for the child.
Attorney Michael McDonald, representing the boy’s interests, expressed concerns during the April 7 session about Paul’s pattern of engaging in conflicts with Mortensen while their son was present.
Eric Swinyard, Paul’s legal counsel, contends that Mortensen initiates the violence in their relationship. He presented court evidence including photographs of Paul’s injuries following an incident in a vehicle where she claims Mortensen forced her head against the dashboard.
Daniela Diaz, representing Mortensen, detailed additional confrontations between the pair and claimed that Paul manipulates their son ‘as a pawn to start fights.’
If you or someone you know needs help with domestic violence, please contact the national domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
