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Reality TV star Taylor Frankie Paul, known for her role on Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, is currently facing a tumultuous period in her personal life. She has temporarily lost custody of her son amidst ongoing disputes with her ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen.
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The controversy surrounding Taylor escalated after a 2023 video surfaced showing her throwing barstools at Dakota. Unfortunately, one of the barstools inadvertently struck her daughter, leading to significant backlash. As a result, Taylor’s anticipated appearance on the next season of The Bachelorette was canceled by ABC/Disney.
Reports of a previous altercation between Taylor and Dakota had already been circulating, with sources claiming that Taylor became physically aggressive. Allegations include that she choked Dakota, tore off his necklace, and grabbed his throat and face during the dispute.
Following these incidents, Dakota sought legal protection earlier this week by requesting a temporary restraining order against Taylor. A judge has since granted this request, further complicating the situation.
In the wake of all of that, Dakota made a request earlier this week for a temporary restraining order against Taylor that a judge has officially granted.
Among other things, the order specifies that Taylor is not able to see Ever, their son, until April.
In court documents obtained by TMZ, it was noted that Dakota will have temporary custody of their son until at least April 7, when Dakota and Taylor are due to appear in court. Until that date, Taylor has been ordered to stay at least 100 feet away from him, which includes not going near his home. She also is prohibited from owning any weapons, according to the court records.
In the filing Dakota made, he recounted to the court about the “chaotic” and “frightening” incident where Taylor allegedly choked him.
Taylor, for her part, has denied she’s to blame for the issues surrounding her and Dakota and has attested the truth will come out.
Amid all of the chaos, Doug Mason, who was rumored to have won Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette that now will go unaired, spoke out to defend her.
“In light of everything that’s happened, I’m just sending out prayers to Taylor because that was her moment and her moment was blocked,” he said on Instagram Story. “All we can do right now is just be hopeful. I’m headed off to run and watch the sunrise, so hope you guys have a great day. Let’s stay positive and show nothing but support for people in need.”
Taylor responded to his sentiments under an Instagram post commenting on what he said, writing, “Aw my heart goes out to him ❤️🩹. So sweet.”
According to Reality Steve, Doug and Taylor did get engaged at the end of the show, but they broke off their engagement after he visited her in Utah a month after the show wrapped filming; however, The Sun caught photos of the pair out together in Los Angeles last weekend.
While together, they appeared to be taping bonus footage for the series prior to it being canceled.
When ABC/Disney decided to no longer air Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette, they shared, “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.”
Taylor’s rep then spoke out on her behalf.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” her rep said. “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”
“There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives. Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation and public shaming,” they noted. “She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
Her rep also provided a separate statement to PEOPLE, noting it’s “sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child.”
“Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior,” they added. “Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences.”