The pair have each filed protective orders against each other, trading allegations of domestic violence
Credit: Disney/Fred Hayes
NEED TO KNOW
- Taylor Frankie Paul claimed that her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, was “possessive” as the premiere of her season of The Bachelorette approached in an April 7 filing for a protective order against him
- Mortensen, 33, previously filed for a protective order against the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 31, on March 19
- An exclusive source tells PEOPLE that Mortensen got a tattoo of Paul’s initials on his lip on Feb. 14, hours after Paul posted a Valentine’s Day-themed promotional post for The Bachelorette
Taylor Frankie Paul is claiming that her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen was “possessive” as the premiere of her season of The Bachelorette approached.
On Tuesday, April 7, Paul filed for a protective order against Mortensen, in which she alleged that he had a “pattern of abusive conduct and coercive control” during their relationship.
Mortensen, 33, previously filed for a protective order against the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 31, on March 19. During an April 7 hearing, he was granted custody of their 2-year-old son Ever with up to eight hours per week of supervised visitation for Paul until another hearing on April 30.
In Paul’s April 7 filing, which was obtained by PEOPLE, the reality TV star claimed that her ex became “increasingly possessive” as the premiere of The Bachelorette, which was initially slated for March 22, neared.
In the filing, Paul alleges that Mortensen sent her texts saying, “I want you forever,” “I still love and want you,” and asking her to “give me a chance” on Feb. 16 and 17, after her season of The Bachelorette had finished filming but before it was set to air. (The filing also includes screenshots of the alleged messages.)
Paul also claims that, on Feb. 17, she “was shown” an image of Mortensen’s lips, which had her initials tattooed inside of them, and which he later “confirmed” to her over text.
“Considering his increasingly possessive and erratic behavior, and considering the fact that we were not in a relationship, this was extremely alarming,” she wrote in the filing. “My initials are now permanently tattooed on the body of a man who has been abusive toward and possessive of me.”
An exclusive source tells PEOPLE that Mortensen got the tattoo on Feb. 14, hours after Paul posted a Valentine’s Day-themed promotional post for The Bachelorette. The source also claims that he “showed the tattoo to cast members [of Mormon Wives] and on camera while filming the show” the next day.
Paul’s filing includes images of Mortensen’s lip tattoo, which reads “TFP,” but does not include the date the images were taken.
Days before the slated premiere, ABC cancelled Paul’s season of The Bachelorette after TMZ published a video of a 2023 altercation where Paul could be seen throwing metal chairs at Mortensen while a child was crying in the background.
In the April 7 filing, Paul claims that Mortensen “released” the video to TMZ to "humiliate" her, though in another part of the filing, she appears less certain how the outlet obtained the video, writing that it was “presumably Dakota.” Responding to similar allegations that he was responsible for the video’s release, Mortensen told PEOPLE, "I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny."
Neither he nor Paul have commented to PEOPLE on allegations made in her April 7 filing.
Credit: Taylor Frankie Paul/ Instagram
Paul was previously arrested for alleged domestic violence in 2023 after an argument with Mortensen. According to a 2023 indictment obtained by PEOPLE — which matches the video surfaced by TMZ — Paul was accused of throwing “heavy, metal chairs” at Mortensen, and her then-5-year-old daughter Indy was struck with a chair during the incident.
Paul was given misdemeanor charges of assault, criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child following her 2023 arrest. She later pled guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault, meaning that if she complies with the conditions of the plea, her charge will be lessened or potentially dismissed. The other charges were dismissed.
Paul and Mortensen are also the subject of two independent domestic assault investigations opened in February 2026 by Utah police departments.
The Draper City Police Department opened an investigation on Feb. 23 after Mortensen’s friend called to report that he was “the victim of a domestic violence assault by an ex-girlfriend at her Draper residence,” according to a police report obtained by PEOPLE. The report adds that Mortensen later told police there were "two incidents of physical assault involving 'grabbing, scratching, shoving, and striking,' " which also notes that police obtained photographs of Mortensen's "neck scratches."
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A spokesperson for the department previously told PEOPLE that "allegations have been made in both directions” during the investigation.
The West Jordan Police department also confirmed to PEOPLE in March that there was a separate “active domestic violence case” involving the pair. A spokesperson said that Mortensen contacted police at the end of February and spoke to police in March for the investigation. The spokesperson also said that Mortensen had submitted video, which police believe is dated “early-to-mid 2024.”
Neither reps for Paul nor Mortensen have commented on the ongoing investigations.
In the wake of Paul and Mortensen’s ongoing legal battle, multiple sources also confirmed to PEOPLE in March that production had paused for the fifth season of Mormon Wives had halted after Paul’s fellow cast members refused to film with her.
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