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    Taylor Frankie Paul’s Ex Dakota Mortensen Suing Hulu for Defamation

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    Watch: Taylor Frankie Paul Shares Surprising Sex Life Update After Doug Mason, Dakota Mortensen Scandal

    Dakota Mortensen is taking legal action.

    The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives alum—who has appeared on the Hulu reality series with his now-ex Taylor Frankie Paul—has filed a lawsuit against the network, as well as Jeff Jenkins Productions and Ludwig Productions, according to court documents obtained by multiple outlets Nov. 13.

    In his suit, the 33-year-old alleged that seasons three, four, and five of the series presented him “to millions of viewers as a domestic abuser,” per court documents obtained by local outlet ABC4 Utah, “as a man who retaliated against the mother of his child by reporting her to Child Protective Services, and as a serial adulterer.”

    Earlier this year, a legal battle between Mortensen and Paul—who share a 2-year-old son—began after he filed to request a protective order against on her on the same day that TMZ published a video of a 2023 physical altercation featuring the former couple.

    In April, Paul—who is also mom to two kids with ex-husband Tate Paul—then requested her own temporary restraining order, alleging Mortensen had a “pattern of abusive conduct and coercive control” throughout their on-again, off-again romance.

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    The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Where Every Couple Stands

    Later that month, per Today, a judge granted mutual protective orders.

    Mortensen also alleges in his lawsuit against the network that producers created storylines “assembled from staged events and from the deliberate deletion of footage that contradicted the storyline, and published after the producers had been informed by Mortensen and by others, that the allegations were false.”

    Sara Jaye/Getty Images for Arby’s

    More specifically, Mortensen alleges cameras captured Paul striking Mortensen with a pizza box while filming season five, per ABC 4 Utah, and demanded that the footage be included in the episodes that aired, but that it was excluded from the final cut.

    E! News has reached out to Paul’s reps for comment about the alleged incident.

    “The knowingly false portrayal of Mortensen as the abuser in the relationship continued uninterrupted,” the suit states, “while the only footage of physical aggression between the two, aggression by Paul against Mortensen, was intentionally withheld from viewers to promote a false narrative.”

    Mortensen is asking for compensatory damages, ABC 4 Utah reports, as well as other damages. E! News has reached out to Hulu and Mortensen’s attorney for comment and has not yet heard back.

    In mid-April, Paul was granted supervised visitation with her and Mortensen’s son and one week later, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release it would not be filing charges against her after completing two separate investigations led by the Draper Police Department and West Jordan Police Department.

    For his part, Mortensen previously described the situation between the two as “deeply upsetting.”

    “I am focusing on our son and his safety,” he told E! News in a statement in March, “and hope that Taylor will do the same.”

    For a closer look at the timeline of the allegations made between Paul and Mortensen, keep reading…

    Disney/John Fleenor

    Feb. 17, 2023: Taylor Frankie Paul Arrested Following Confrontation With Dakota MortensenAfter rising to fame with #MomTok, Taylor Frankie Paulwasarrested in Utah on Feb. 17, 2023 stemming from an incident with then boyfriend DakotaMortensen. She was accused of throwing metal chairs and a wooden playset at him while one of her two children—who she shares with ex-husband TatePaul—was in the room, per an affidavit obtained byABC 4 Utah.Paul was charged with one count of felony aggravated assault, two counts of felony domestic violence in the presence of a child causing injury, one count of misdemeanor child abuse and one count of misdemeanor criminal mischief, according to court documents released by the District Attorney for Salt Lake County and obtained by E! News at the time.A Herriman Police Department officer who responded to the incident said that when he arrived, Mortensen “reported he was in an argument with his girlfriend,” according to a written declaration in the court documents. The officer further stated that “during the argument, Mortensen attempted to leave the residence, however [Paul] began hitting him.”

    Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

    August 2023: Taylor Frankie Paul Pleads Guilty to Aggravated AssaultPaul pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault in August 2023, according to court documents obtained by the Salt Lake Tribune, while four other charges were dismissed with prejudice.Her plea was held in abeyance for three years, at which time the charge would be entered as a Class A misdemeanor as long as Paul abided by the terms of her plea agreement, per the documents.According to her plea deal, Paul was to obtain both a substance abuse evaluation and a domestic violence evaluation and complete any recommended treatment over a three-year period—as well as not violate any major laws.

    Disney/Fred Hayes

    March 19, 2024: Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen Welcome SonPaul and Mortensen’s son was born a week early, with Paul posting a photo from the hospital to Instagram on April 4, 2024 and writing, “We’ve had the best two weeks with him. We all love you so much, thank you for blending our family.”

    Disney/Bahareh Ritter

    September 2024: Taylor Frankie Paul Speaks Out About 2023 ArrestPaul admitted in an interview with E! News that the altercation with Mortensen was their “rock bottom for sure.” “He stood by me with that because he knew everything going on behind closed doors,” she said. “That was a horrible night and I’m full of regret. Dakota has been at rock bottom himself, so he could totally relate. He was like, ‘I want to help you out of this.'”As for the confrontation itself, she later said the incident had been building up. “I had an ectopic [pregnancy] a few months prior, and then I had a chemical pregnancy,” she shared on the Viall Filespodcast in September 2024. “I don’t want to blame hormones, but I will put that into account. Like, I am pretty whack.”Paul added that the events had left her feeling lost and angry, saying, “I was feeling so low I went and drank that night. And Dakota picks me up and he’s angry that I drank.””I remember throwing things, and I don’t know my daughters on the couch. We had babysitters there, so I think they’re upstairs sleeping,” she said, alleging that Mortensen tried to tell her that her then 5-year-old daughter was present, but “I’m like so gone I don’t care, and I throw another chair.”

    Araya Doheny/Getty Images

    Sept. 6, 2024: Secret Lives of Mormon Wives PremieresThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wives debuted on Hulu in September 2024, with the first episode of season one featuring Paul’s 2023 arrest. 

    TikTok/@taylorfrankiepaul

    May 18, 2025: Taylor Frankie Paul Confirms Dakota Mortensen Breakup After On-Again, Off-Again RelationshipPaul confirmed their split in May 2025 after it was revealed on the season two premiere of SLOMW that Mortensen had cheated on her shortly after they had welcomed their son, writing on TikTok, “Dakota isn’t mine anymore, wish him the best.””Dakota and I were living together and in bliss with our new baby, and I was even considering engagement,” she said on the premiere episode. “And then I learned that he was lying this entire time.”During a season four episode of SLOMW, Mortensen admitted to cheating with their friend Shinia Powell, telling Taylor during a FaceTime call, “Was it dumb of me? Yes. Could I have picked someone else? Yes. Who it was matters, and that’s where I think I went wrong. I picked somebody that was obviously going to come with problems, and that was very s–tty of me to do.”

    Disney/Michael Kirchoff) (Photo by Michael Kirchoff/Disney via Getty Images

    Sept. 10, 2025: Taylor Frankie Paul Is Cast as The Bachelorette for Season 22In a surprising turn of events, Paul was cast as the leading lady for season 22 of The Bachelorette, confirming the news during an appearance on Call Her Daddy in September 2025. The decision marked a notable departure for the franchise, as it usually casts suitors from previous seasons of The Bachelor in the position.But for Paul, it was a welcome change, saying in a teaser for the season, “I do believe I was gifted this for another chapter in my life.”“I’ve been criticized, I’ve been judged and I’ve been rejected,” Paul continued, “but anyone that takes the time to know me will see that I’m actually a genuine person and I mean well and a person that deserves another chance at love.”

    Instagram/Dakota Mortensen

    Fall 2025: Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen FaceTime Before Filming Begins on The BacheloretteShortly before Paul began filming season 22 of The Bachelorette, she and Mortensen shared an emotional conversation seen during a season four episode of SLOMW, during which he apologized for having a relationship with Shinia, saying it was “very s–tty of me to do.”He added that he and Paul had both done “a lot of things” to “hurt each other,” but believed that overall the two still loved each other. The pair agreed their relationship was “toxic,” with Paul saying that being on The Bachelorette “will be one the best things for us, regardless of what happens. This would be the best break and breakoff of our cycle. You could do a lot of healing.” But Mortensen made it clear he was still interested in a relationship, telling Paul, “I’m happy for you. I want you to be happy. That’s what I’m saying, if you find someone, like, great. But all I’m gonna say—save a rose for me, ‘kay?”

    Fred Hayes/Disney via Getty Images & Sara Jaye/Getty Images for Arby’s

    February 2026: Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen’s Domestic Assault Investigation OpenedFilming for season five of Secret Lives of Mormon Wiveswas put on hold after an alleged confrontation between Paul and Mortensen in February 2026.A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed toPeople on March 16 that there was an open “domestic assault investigation” regarding Paul and Mortensen—telling the outlet that “allegations have been made in both directions.” The spokesperson explained “contact was made with involved parties on [Feb] 24th and 25th,” but declined to share more information due to the ongoing investigation. As a source shared with E! News, “Taylor owns her mistakes, all she wants to do is protect her son, Ever, from stories in the press or anything negative about his father and wants him to think well of his father.”

    Kevin Mazur/Getty Images; Sara Jaye/Getty Images for Arby’s

    March 19, 2026: Footage From Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen’s 2023 Confrontation SurfacesFollowing news of Paul and Mortensen’s 2026 dispute, video footage from their physical altercation in 2023 was released by TMZ. In the video, Mortensen can be seen recording the fight on his phone as Paul yells at him and attempts to strike him, at one point putting him in a headlock. “Look,” Mortensen can be heard saying, “this is called physical abuse.”He could also be heard telling her that her daughter was present as Paul began throwing metal barstools at him. During the altercation, Paul accused Mortensen of pushing her to the floor before he started recording, while he alleged, “You did this,” and asked her to help her then-5-year-old. Later, Paul could be heard yelling, “Get away from my daughter.”The responding police officer’s written declaration obtained by E! News in 2023 confirmed the child was hit by one of the stools. After the video was published, a spokesperson for Paul told E! News in a statement that the video was part of “a destructive campaign to harm” her, saying it “conveniently omits context” and was meant to “distract” from Mortensen’s actions. As for the real estate agent, he denied her claims as “baseless.”

    Disney/Sami Drasin

    March 19, 2026: ABC Cancels Taylor Frankie Paul’s Season of The BacheloretteAfter video of the 2023 altercation between Paul and Mortensen surfaced, ABC confirmed that it would be cancelling season 22 of The Bachelorette, with a spokesperson for Disney Entertainment saying in a statement to E! News, “We have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”

    Paula Lobo/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. via Getty Images

    March 19, 2026: Taylor Frankie Paul Speaks Out on Bachelorette CancelationFollowing ABC’s decision, Paul broke her silence about the situation. “Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” her rep told E! News. “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.”The statement continued, “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.”Her rep confirmed that Paul was “currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”

    Araya Doheny/Getty Images

    March 19, 2026: Dakota Mortensen Breaks Silence on the AllegationsMortensen spoke out about the domestic violence allegations between himself and Paul, telling E! News in a March 19 statement, “As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation.””I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship,” he said, “which I categorically deny.””I am focusing on our son and his safety,” Paul added, “and hope that Taylor will do the same.”

    Instagram/Taylor Frankie Paul

    March 20, 2026: Dakota Mortensen Granted Temporary Custody of SonMortensen was awarded temporary custody of their son after filing for a protective order against Paul, according to documents obtained by People March 20. A hearing in the matter was scheduled for April 7—where Taylor would be allowed to speak and share her side—but until then, the order stated that “no parent time is allowed,” per the outlet.

    Disney/Pamela Littky

    March 24, 2026: Third Police InvestigationAuthorities in Utah began investigating another alleged domestic violence incident that took place in 2024 which Mortensen brought to the police’s attention in February, a West Jordan Police Department spokesperson told NBC News March 24. While investigators spoke to Paul’s attorney, they had not yet spoken to her directly, and hoped for her to submit a written statement or be interviewed to corroborate details of Mortensen’s report, per the spokesperson.

    Disney/John Fleenor

    April 14, 2026: Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office Announced It Would Not File New Charges Against Taylor Frankie PaulA week after Paul was granted supervised visitation with her and Mortensen’s son during an April 7 court hearing, The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release it would not be filing charges against her after two separate investigations led by the Draper Police Department and West Jordan Police Department, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.According to the outlet, the news release noted, “Due to the high profile of the defendant, the cases were reviewed by multiple attorneys.”

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