The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul has filed a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. This comes amid an ongoing custody battle between the two over their two-year-old son, Ever. Notably, the legal step comes ahead of a Utah court hearing over Mortensen’s own request for an order of protection against Paul.
The tale of tit-for-tat restraining orders
According to the lawsuit filing obtained by Variety, Paul alleged that Mortensen committed physical violence and also provided photos of bruises on her arms, legs, and face. Furthermore, the filing includes a text chain between Paul and Mortensen, in which the former discusses one of her injuries. Paul also claimed that her ex-boyfriend sent a picture of her initials tattooed on the inside of his lips on February 14, which she believes constitutes harassment. The order also cites incidents from last May and earlier in February.
Both orders come on the heels of domestic incidents that occurred on Feb. 22 and 23, which led both individuals to accuse each other of abuse. The legal proceedings halted the production of Season 5 of the Hulu reality series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives in March, which Paul was scheduled to be part of. Moreover, the controversy led Disney to pull Season 22 of The Bachelorette just before its premiere, in which Paul was set to star.
Her professional setbacks were further fueled by footage TMZ released of a separate domestic incident involving Paul and Mortensen that took place in February 2023. Following the incident, Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault later that year and remains on probation until August. The footage captures her throwing metal barstools at Mortensen, with one of her children nearby heard crying.
Following the restraining order filed by Paul, her spokesperson said in a statement, “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”
“There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives. Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story,” the statement further read.
Paul grew in popularity after featuring in the fourth season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and the fame she gained from the show led to her being cast as the lead of The Bachelorette Season 22, which has completed post-production but will not be airing due to the ongoing legal controversy.
