Judge admonishes 'dysfunctional' Taylor Frankie Paul, Dakota Mortensen – USA Today

“Bachelorette” to-be Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen were both granted their protective orders against each other during a court appearance in which a Utah judge determined the coparents have a “dysfunctional” relationship with violence by both parties.
In an April 30 hearing in Salt Lake County District Court, 3rd District Court Commissioner Russell Minas heard arguments from lawyers for both “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” stars, who have accused each other of domestic violence during their years-long on-and-off relationship. As he presented his reasoning for granting both of their petitions for protective orders, Minas said the reality stars, parents to 2-year-old Ever, have “a very toxic relationship.”
“There seems to be a continuing attraction that they have for each other. Whether it’s physical, whether it’s the thrill of the two of them being a part of making themselves celebrities, there seems to be this attraction,” Minas said. “The problem is that the two of them can’t be together in the same place at the same time for very long before it starts to turn violent. … I am very concerned.”
He went on to admonish the two for how they are “modeling” conflict resolution in front of their son. Minas told Paul and Mortensen, “You have to figure out how to function as coparents. This has been dysfunctional. This is a lifelong proposition between the two of you. You’re linked together for the remainder of your lives.”
Paul, 31, is also mother to her two shared children with ex-husband Tate Paul: Indy, 8, and Ocean, 5.
USA TODAY has reached out to Mortensen’s representatives for comment.
Paul’s attorney, Eric M. Swinyard, called the hearing “a significant step forward as the Court entered protective orders requiring that Taylor’s ex-partner stays far away from her,” according to a statement provided to USA TODAY.
“Taylor was incredibly candid with the Court that she is not perfect and owned her faults, which is in direct contrast to how the other party presented their argument, despite evidence and input from law enforcement that showed otherwise,” Swinyard said. “Taylor feels solidarity with the many survivors who have endured similar hardships behind closed doors and shared only part of their stories, and she remains grateful for the outpouring of support she continues to receive.
“She looks forward to continuing to cooperate with the Court to make progress in the custody case.”
After being presented with the former couple’s dueling accounts of various assaults, which they have both alleged resulted in injuries, Minas shared that he believes “the nature of [Paul’s] conduct is really reactive,” while 33-year-old Mortensen’s actions were “more deliberative.”
“I think that there is some manipulation,” Minas said of Mortensen. “I think there may be obsession that they may have with each other as well.”
As a result, the commissioner said, he finds that Mortensen and Paul “need to stay away from each other.” Their protective orders against each other, which include a stay-away order of 100 feet, will continue for three years.
However, Minas expressed he has “mixed feelings” about resuming the exes’ former parenting agreement; currently, Mortensen has temporary custody of their son, while Paul is allowed “up to eight hours” of supervised parent time each week. He will issue a ruling on whether to expand Paul’s privileges within 10 days.
Paul is “working with a therapist,” attorney Eric Swinyard told Minas. He also mentioned her and Mortensen’s relationship is “dead and gone forever,” though the commissioner expressed doubts.
“I don’t know if that relationship’s dead and gone forever,” he told the lawyer.
Following a law enforcement investigation into Mortensen’s allegations that Paul assaulted him in February, prosecutors declined to pursue charges.
In her request for a protective order against Mortensen, Paul alleged a “high number of instances of abuse and domestic violence” that include four incidents involving assault, harassment and stalking from March 2025 to February 2026. Mortensen’s petition for a protective order has not been made public. His attorneys have declined multiple requests for comment.
Police records obtained by USA TODAY included reports from both sides, with Mortensen telling a Draper City Police Department officer that Paul threw a drink at him and then “began to kick my screen and punch my rearview mirror” before “trying to hit me and squeezing my face.” He then alleged he “shoved her off me,” which caused her to “hit her head on the screen of my truck.”
Paul said in her statement that his drink spilled, causing him to get upset and leading him to slam her head against the dashboard of his car.
In an alleged incident involving Mortensen in February 2023, Paul was arrested on misdemeanor charges of assault, criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child, according to police. Paul entered a plea of abeyance to a felony aggravated assault charge and has been on probation.
After TMZ published video of this alleged domestic violence incident, her season of “The Bachelorette” was scrapped days before its premiere in a bombshell decision by ABC. The network has not shared details about whether the episodes will air at a later date.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish via chat and at 800-656-4673.
(This story was updated to include new information.)

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