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The saga involving Taylor Frankie Paul seems to spiral further into chaos. As the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star prepares to make her entrance on Season 22 of The Bachelorette, TMZ has unveiled footage showing a heated physical altercation between her and her former partner, Dakota Mortensen, who is also the father of her child.
In the leaked video, Mortensen appears to provoke Paul by filming what he calls “physical abuse.” The footage captures Paul kicking him, placing him in a headlock, and hurling metal barstools in his direction—all while her young daughter witnesses the tumultuous scene, eventually becoming part of the chaotic incident. This footage is believed to be from the night of Paul’s 2023 arrest, which led to her being charged with aggravated assault. She entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to three years of probation, set to conclude in August. Other charges, such as domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse, and criminal mischief, were dismissed.
Paul’s representative responded to the video’s release, telling Entertainment Weekly, “It’s disheartening to see yet another attempt by Dakota to draw attention at Taylor’s expense, with no thought for the impact on their child. Releasing an outdated video, conveniently missing crucial context, on their son’s birthday is a deplorable effort to deflect from his actions. The public is familiar with this narrative and recognizes the manipulation, both from the show and personal experiences.”
Although the video has recently surfaced, followers of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and the public have been aware of the incident since the show’s first season, which featured police body-cam footage from the night of the arrest. At that time, Paul alleged that Mortensen had thrown her to the ground before he began recording. Despite the turmoil, the couple reconciled, and in March 2024, Paul gave birth to their son, Ever. The series has chronicled their rocky co-parenting journey, showcasing Mortensen’s repeated infidelities and provocations within their community.
Amidst the media storm, Paul was set to lead the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, scheduled to premiere on Sunday, March 22. However, recent developments led to a halt in production for Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives following another reported physical altercation between Mortensen and Paul, which remains under investigation. Star Mikayla Matthews confirmed via Instagram Story that she and the MomTok cast decided to pause filming due to the uncomfortable circumstances.
Despite the drama, Paul moved forward with promoting The Bachelorette, appearing on both Good Morning America and Live with Kelly and Mark on Wednesday (March 18).
“It’s been a heavy time to see the headlines, especially during this time of The Bachelorette being released,” Paul said of the allegations on GMA. “It’s supposed to be a really exciting time. I’m a person that will always speak my truth. That’s what I’m known for. And when the time is right, I will be.”
A Disney rep confirmed today that Paul’s season of The Bachelorette will not move forward following the release of the video. “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, 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,” the spokesperson said in a release provided to DECIDER.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Mortensen also filed a protective order in Utah on Tuesday (March 17). The outlet obtained photos of Mortensen at the courthouse, where he happened to run into the MomTok founder’s ex-husband, Tate Paul, who was allegedly there to file a protective order as well. They share two children together.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.