The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Dakota Mortensen is struggling after his alleged altercation with ex Taylor Frankie Paul continues to make headlines.
“He’s feeling hurt and disappointed by how everything unfolded when she came back to Utah,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly of how the reality star is holding up amid the ongoing scandal.
The insider adds that Dakota “really wanted” to give Taylor, 31, “space to have her moment” as the upcoming season 22 lead of The Bachelorette. (Although the pair vowed to move on at the end of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 4, which aired earlier this month, Dakota told Taylor during the finale to “save” him a rose.)
“He was trying to be supportive and stay out of the way, even when things were difficult between them,” the source continues, noting that Dakota believed he and Taylor “would finally be on a good path after” The Bachelorette ended.
Despite the conflict between them, the source says that Dakota’s “No. 1 priority” remains the exes’ 23-month-old son, Ever.
A spokesperson for Utah’s Draper City Police Department confirmed to Us on Monday, March 17, that there was an open “domestic assault investigation” concerning Taylor and Dakota, with allegations “made in both directions.”
Taylor broke her silence on the alleged incident, which reportedly caused production of Mormon Wives to pause production amid filming for season 5, earlier on Tuesday.
While speaking exclusively to Us Weekly at a NYC press dinner for The Bachelorette, Taylor claimed that there is “more context” to the situation than the public knows.
”It’s been hard. And it sucks to be in this position,” she explained to Us. “And the mother that I am, that is something I will always stand my ground on. I believe that I am a good mother and I have always treated my kids very well.”
The reality star, whose Bachelorette season premieres Sunday, March 22, continued, “The headlines that are out right now are very hard to see because that’s not the truth of it. I have always treated my children with respect and I’ve never touched them. So it’s been really hard.”
Taylor also noted that even appearing at the New York dinner took “everything” in her, labeling the timing of the controversy “unfortunate.”
She explained to Us, “It’s another premiere that’s been taken away from me. I’ve never enjoyed a premiere for any one of my shows. So it’s just been very sad.”
Taylor has faced various other hurdles since the allegations made headlines. Cinnabon confirmed on Tuesday that it was ending its partnership with the mom of three.
“Cinnabon has made the decision to terminate its collaboration with The Bachelorette and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” the brand told Us in a statement. “Recent developments and allegations surrounding the lead cast member led us to reassess this collaboration as it no longer aligns with our brand values.”
A second source also told Us Weekly that Taylor’s Mormon Wives costars are currently “terrified” to film with her, as being around her feels like a “major liability.”
Taylor and Dakota’s relationship has been filled with ups and downs, with many documented on Hulu’s SLOMW. In 2023, Taylor was charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse with injury and criminal mischief, following an incident with Dakota.
