The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul made rare comments about her relationship with ex-husband Tate Paul after their divorce.
Taylor and Tate got married in 2016 and expanded their family twice before being involved in a “soft swinging” sex scandal. The controversy involved Taylor and Tate hooking up with couples — with them calling it quits in the aftermath of the drama.
The reality star, who shares daughter Indy and son Ocean with Tate, found love with Dakota Mortensen, who was Taylor’s first boyfriend since her divorce. Taylor and Dakota faced major ups and downs — including Taylor’s February 2023 domestic violence arrest — which was documented on season 1 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Taylor was ultimately charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse with injury and criminal mischief after the incident. Taylor pleaded guilty six months later to aggravated assault, while the other four charges were dismissed with prejudice. She reached a plea deal the following month.
Season 1 captured Taylor and Dakota trying to make their relationship work after her legal issues. They briefly got back together before their son Ever’s arrival in March 2024. Amid their ups and downs, Taylor became more entangled in legal issues with Dakota following multiple domestic disputes.
Taylor and Dakota were previously granted temporary restraining orders against each other. Tate, for his part, filed a temporary restraining order in June 2026. He also filed a petition to modify the terms of their divorce and custody agreement, which was ultimately denied.
Keep scrolling to relive Taylor and Tate’s relationship:
2016
The pair got married in 2016 after years of dating.
2017
One year after they walked down the aisle, Taylor and Tate welcomed their first baby when daughter Indy was born in August 2017.
2020
Taylor and Tate’s second baby, son Ocean, arrived in June 2020.
2022
After news broke about a “soft-swinging” scandal, Taylor confirmed that she and Tate were part of a group of young couples who would swap partners. Taylor explained in a livestream that she had an agreement with Tate where they were allowed to be intimate with other people. There were restrictions, however, which is why they broke up after Taylor crossed a line in their agreement by going “all the way” with another man.
2023
Following Taylor’s first domestic dispute with Dakota, Tate asked police about getting a protective order for the former couple’s children. In a phone call audio and transcripts obtained by Us Weekly in March 2026, Tate asked Utah police to clarify what legal protections were put in place for his children following Taylor’s arrest.
2024
Taylor revealed in September 2024 that Tate was in a new relationship, telling Distractify, “My ex is doing great as far as I know. I love him and his partner, [who is his] fiancée, I believe.”
Tate has since married Bailey Paul, with whom he shares one child.
March 2026
“I just respect his privacy a lot, and I know that’s what he likes,” Taylor exclusively told Us in her March 2026 cover story. “But he and I have always been really good friends and [have a] very healthy coparenting relationship.”
June 2026
Us confirmed in June 2026 that Tate filed for a temporary restraining order against Taylor, requesting a hearing to discuss the matter. Tate also filed a petition to modify the terms of his and Taylor’s divorce and custody agreement.
According to court documents previously obtained by Us in March 2026, Tate agreed to pay his ex-wife $3,000 a month in child support after their divorce. In their August 2022 divorce decree, the exes were awarded joint legal and physical custody of Indy and Ocean.
Tate’s new petition requested to modify their agreement so he received sole custody of their children. His request was ultimately denied one day later.
“As Tate himself recognizes, many of his supporting allegations are based upon inadmissible hearsay, without any corroborating evidence,” court documents obtained by Us read. “Many of the concerns, like the children not doing well in school and expressing sadness will require ongoing attention not remedied with an emergency order changing custody.”
The statement continued, “The court acknowledges that what he is allegedly hearing can create anxiety, but contrary to the claim that the children are in immediate danger, Taylor proffers that Tate left the children with her from June 11 through the 17, 2026, while he went to Iceland. The court cannot find an immediate and irreparable harm as contemplated by Rule 65A, and the motion is denied.”
July 2026
After his initial request for a restraining order was denied, Tate filed a motion for reconsideration and submitted several exhibits. Taylor, for her part, broke her silence about the legal drama.
“I spent the day crying and fighting for my 2 older children,” she wrote via Instagram Stories. “They had returned yesterday after being withheld and they were expressing how excited they were to spend this year with me doing fireworks.”
Taylor got emotional about the coparenting challenges she has allegedly been facing with her ex.
“Their dad even told me we could EXTEND it to Monday so I relayed them the exciting news just for him to take it back?” she claimed. “It was lies to them and my gut was wrenching to witness them cry, confused and asking why…”
