UPDATE — 4/8/26 at 10:35 a.m. ET: TMZ reported on Wednesday, April 8, that Taylor Frankie Paul was granted a temporary protective order against ex Dakota Mortensen. Court documents obtained by the outlet noted that a Utah judge ordered Dakota to stay 100 yards away from Taylor until their hearing later this month.
Original story:
Taylor Frankie Paul has filed for a counter temporary restraining order against ex Dakota Mortensen, Us Weekly can confirm.
Taylor’s filing comes weeks after Dakota was granted a temporary protective order against her, per court documents obtained by Us in March. Dakota has also been awarded temporary custody of their 2-year-old son, Ever. (Taylor shares daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul.)
News broke in March that Taylor, 31, and Dakota were involved in an alleged domestic violence incident the previous month. A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department in Utah confirmed to Us at the time that there was an open “domestic assault investigation” regarding the pair, with allegations “made in both directions.” (Both parties have denied the allegations made against them.)
In the wake of the alleged incident, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives halted production on season 5. Costar Mikayla Matthews shared via her Instagram Story in March that the choice to pause filming was a “decision that all of us girls came up with and agreed on.”
Days before Taylor’s season 22 of The Bachelorette was set to air, TMZ released footage from a separate 2023 incident, showing the reality TV star assaulting Dakota and throwing multiple chairs at him in the presence of her daughter. (Taylor was subsequently arrested and charged with aggravated assault, domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse and criminal mischief. She pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault in exchange for the dismissal of the remaining charges.)
ABC announced their plan to pull Taylor’s season hours later.
“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,” a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson told Us in a statement at the time.
Taylor, for her part, shared in a statement via her rep that she is “very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security.”
“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,” the rep said.
The statement continued, “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. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support and preparing to own and share her story.”
Dakota, meanwhile, broke his silence on the shocking footage in a separate statement.
“As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation. I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny,” he said. “I am focusing on our son and his safety and hope that Taylor will do the same.”
Later that month, NBC News reported that Utah’s West Jordan Police Department is looking into claims made by Dakota regarding a third alleged domestic dispute with Taylor in 2024. Dakota contacted authorities in February about the incident, according to the outlet.
The West Jordan Police Department spokesperson confirmed authorities are reviewing video footage connected to the third alleged incident, but declined to give further details to NBC News due to the ongoing investigation. (Us reached out to the West Jordan Police Department and representatives for both Taylor and Dakota for comment at the time.)
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
