Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen Appear in Person Together for First Time Since Start of Domestic Violence Legal Dispute

The pair were involved in a pair of domestic violence investigations by Utah police departments earlier this year and have filed for competing protective orders

NEED TO KNOW

• Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen appeared in court on April 30 for a hearing about their competing protective order filings and to determine a custody arrangement for their 2-year-old son Ever
• The hearing marked the first time the pair had publicly appeared together since news broke of multiple domestic violence investigations involving them earlier this year
• During an April 7 hearing, a judge granted Mortensen custody of Ever with up to eight hours per week of visitation for Paul supervised by a paid supervisor or someone vetted by the guardian ad litem, in effect, until the April 30 hearing

Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen have publicly appeared in person together for the first time since police opened domestic violence investigations involving them in February.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 31, and her ex-boyfriend, 33, appeared in Utah court on Thursday, April 30, for a hearing about their competing protective order filings and to determine a custody arrangement for their 2-year-old son Ever. The hearing, which was livestreamed, marked the first time the pair had publicly appeared together since news broke of multiple domestic violence investigations involving them earlier this year.

At the hearing, Paul was joined by her sister, Aspyn May, her mother Liann May, and stepdad, Jeremy May.

Over the past two months, Paul has accused Mortensen in court of stalking and, on one occasion, slamming her head into the dashboard of his truck. Mortensen has submitted photographs of scratches and other bodily injuries he allegedly received during altercations with Paul.

In February, both the Draper City Police Department and West Jordan Police Department opened domestic violence cases involving Paul and Mortensen, stemming from a series of allegations each made that the other acted violently during a series of altercations that month. The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office and the Draper City Prosecutor both declined to file charges against Paul in April, citing insufficient evidence to prove allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. 

While the police investigation was ongoing, Mortensen filed for a protective order against Paul. She filed for a protective order of her own against Mortensen several weeks later.

During an April 7 hearing, a judge granted Mortensen custody of Ever with up to eight hours per week of visitation for Paul supervised by a paid supervisor or someone vetted by the guardian ad litem, in effect until the April 30 hearing.

Paul was previously arrested in 2023 for an alleged domestic violence incident with Mortensen, accused of throwing metal chairs at him while her then-5-year-old daughter, Indy, was in the room. Paul pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault and the other charges were dropped.

Though the arrest took place over three years ago, the case faced new scrutiny in March when TMZ published a video of the altercation, showing Paul yelling, putting Mortensen in a headlock and throwing chairs at him while a child could be heard crying. 

Hours after the video’s release, ABC called off Paul’s already-filmed season of The Bachelorette days before its slated premiere. (Executive Vice President of Unscripted for Walt Disney TV, Rob Mills, recently said, however, that the network was "[taking] everything a day at a time" when asked about their plans for the unaired season.)

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Amid Paul and Mortensen's ongoing legal battle, the fifth season of Mormon Wives temporarily halted production in March after several cast members refused to work with Paul, sources told PEOPLE at the time. 

But in April, PEOPLE confirmed that cameras were rolling again for the Hulu reality series, though notably without Paul or Mortensen's involvement. An exclusive source later told PEOPLE that Paul "has the option to return" and is “receiving strong support from the cast and producers but is focusing on her kids and mental health issues and recovery from an abusive relationship.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

Read the full article here