Taylor Frankie Paul, known for her appearances on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and a canceled season of “The Bachelorette,” will not face charges related to recent altercations with her former partner, as confirmed by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office. Police in Draper City and West Jordan have been investigating reports of domestic violence in 2024 and this February involving Paul’s ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen, the father of her two-year-old child. While Paul has also made accusations against Mortensen, those claims were not addressed in the legal proceedings.
Any new charges against Paul would have violated her probation terms following a 2023 incident involving assault on Mortensen. Both parties have filed competing petitions for protective orders, which will be examined in an upcoming hearing.
Breanne Miller, a lawyer from the district attorney’s Family Protection Unit, explained in a memo that some incidents reported did not meet the criteria for criminal charges, while others lacked sufficient evidence for prosecution. Notably, some incidents were beyond the legal review timeframe as they occurred over three years ago.
The decision not to press charges does not directly impact Mortensen’s protective order against Paul, currently under temporary status pending an April 30 hearing that could extend it. However, the lack of prosecution could be beneficial for Paul’s legal team in presenting their case to the court commissioner, who previously mandated supervised visits with her son.
During an April 7 hearing, Paul’s attorney, Eric Swinyard, argued that Mortensen instigated a February altercation referred to as the “truck tussle.” Mortensen alleged that Paul threw a drink at him during an argument in a vehicle, while Swinyard claimed Mortensen forcefully pushed Paul’s head and assaulted her, supported by photographic evidence of her injuries.
A previous incident in 2023 led to the shelving of a filmed season of “The Bachelorette” after a leaked video depicted Paul engaging in physical violence towards Mortensen, which resulted in legal charges. Paul accepted a reduced assault charge, contingent upon maintaining a clean record during a three-year probation ending in August.
A total of eleven disputes between Paul and Mortensen were under scrutiny in their protective order requests. Concerns were raised by a court-appointed attorney for their son regarding a video from May of the previous year showing Paul pushing Mortensen while he held their child, indicating potential issues with self-control.
The couple’s tumultuous relationship, prominently featured on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” since its debut in 2024, played a significant role in Paul’s rise to reality TV stardom. The show’s premiere episode included footage of Paul’s 2023 arrest by the police.
