Taylor Frankie Paul, known for her roles in “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and the canceled season of “The Bachelorette,” will not face charges related to recent altercations with her ex-partner, as confirmed by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday. Police in Draper City and West Jordan have been investigating allegations of domestic violence made by Paul’s ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen, in 2024 and February of this year. Although Paul also made accusations against Mortensen, these were not addressed in the legal documents.
Potential new charges against Paul would have violated her probation terms, which originated from an assault on Mortensen in 2023. Both parties have filed conflicting petitions for protective orders, awaiting resolution in an upcoming hearing.
Breanne Miller, from the district attorney’s Family Protection Unit, stated that some reported incidents were beyond the legal review timeframe, and others lacked sufficient evidence to warrant criminal charges against Paul. The decision not to press charges will not impact Mortensen’s existing protective order against Paul, which is currently temporary and may be extended at an upcoming hearing on April 30. However, the lack of prosecution could aid Paul’s case in seeking unsupervised visits with her son, as ordered by a court commissioner in a previous hearing.
During an April 7 hearing, Paul’s lawyer, Eric Swinyard, argued that Mortensen instigated a physical altercation in February, referred to as the “truck tussle.” Mortensen alleged that Paul threw a drink at him during an argument in a truck, while Swinyard claimed that Mortensen physically assaulted Paul, providing photographic evidence of her injuries.
A past violent incident between the couple in 2023 led to the cancellation of a season of “The Bachelorette” after leaked footage showed Paul engaging in physical violence towards Mortensen. Paul faced charges of aggravated assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child, ultimately pleading guilty to assault. The charges will be reduced to a misdemeanor if she maintains a clean record during her probation period ending in August.
The ongoing legal dispute between Paul and Mortensen includes scrutiny of eleven altercations, with concerns raised about Paul’s behavior in a video from May of the previous year where she is seen pushing Mortensen while he holds their son. The couple’s attorneys have presented contrasting views on their parenting and conflict resolution methods.
The tumultuous relationship between Paul and Mortensen, prominently showcased on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” has been a focal point of Paul’s rise to reality TV stardom, with the series capturing the aftermath of her 2023 arrest.