SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Taylor Frankie Paul, a prominent figure from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and a participant in a recently canceled season of “The Bachelorette,” will not face charges related to recent altercations involving her former partner, according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office. The decision is rooted in investigations into claims of domestic violence made by Dakota Mortensen, the father of Paul’s 2-year-old son, during 2024 and February 2026.
The claims against Paul include both allegations by Mortensen and counter-allegations from Paul, although the latter were not included in the official documents. Prosecutors clarified that new charges against Paul could have breached her probation stemming from a 2023 assault on Mortensen.
Paul and Mortensen are currently embroiled in a legal battle, having filed dueling petitions for protective orders against each other, which are set to be reviewed in an upcoming court hearing.
In a memo explaining the lack of charges against Paul, Breanne Miller, an attorney in the District Attorney’s Family Protection Unit, stated, “Several incidents that were submitted do not rise to the level of criminal offenses. The remaining incidents lack sufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges.” She also noted that some of the reported events took place over three years ago and were thus outside the statute of limitations for legal action.
Despite the absence of criminal charges, Mortensen’s protective order against Paul, which has been temporarily granted, will still proceed to a hearing scheduled for April 30. The lack of prosecution against Paul could potentially impact her ongoing custody battle, particularly regarding the court’s requirement for supervised visits with her son.
During an April 7 hearing, Paul’s attorney, Eric Swinyard, characterized a February fight as an incident where Mortensen was the aggressor. Mortensen claimed that during the argument in a truck, Paul threw a drink at him in an effort to keep him from waking sleeping children in her home. However, Swinyard countered that Mortensen had physically assaulted Paul by slamming her head into the dashboard and striking her leg while also providing photographic evidence of her injuries.
Another altercation in 2023 led ABC to take the unprecedented step of shelving an already-filmed season of “The Bachelorette” after footage of the incident leaked online. The video depicted Paul engaging in highly aggressive behavior towards Mortensen, including punches and kicks, while her daughter was present in the vicinity, visibly distressed. As a result, Paul faced charges of aggravated assault and other offenses, including domestic violence in the presence of a child. She eventually pleaded guilty to an assault charge, which may be downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor if Paul maintains a clean legal record during her three-year probation period, which concludes in August. Other charges against her were dismissed.
In total, eleven altercations between Paul and Mortensen were scrutinized during the proceedings regarding their protective orders. A court-appointed attorney representing their son, Ever, expressed concern over Paul’s conduct, citing an incident captured on video where she pushed Mortensen while he was holding their child. The attorney, Michael McDonald, expressed trepidation regarding her ability to manage her behavior. In her defense, Paul’s attorney argued that Mortensen was instigating the situation by using their child as a “human shield,” while Mortensen’s legal representation accused Paul of manipulating their son “as a pawn to start fights.”
Paul’s tumultuous relationship with Mortensen has been prominently featured in “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” which debuted in 2024, highlighting their struggles and the complexities of their domestic issues. This narrative not only contributed to Paul’s rise as a reality television star but also brought heightened public attention to their legal troubles.
