Taylor Frankie Paul recounted a volatile fight with her ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen, to her fellow cast members on "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" during the Season 5 finale, an incident that led to the production shutdown of the Hulu series. Paul, 32, informed her co-stars via phone that she was no longer filming due to what she described as a "mess" involving Mortensen, whom she labeled "f—king insane."
According to Paul, Mortensen, with whom she shares a 2-year-old son named Ever, allegedly had a friend contact Child Protective Services (CPS) after another argument. Paul claims Mortensen fabricated a story about their fight, alleging that they were driving on the highway and she screamed at their son, then punched herself to simulate being hit by Mortensen. Paul asserted that her son "was never in the car" and stated she has camera footage to corroborate her account. She further claimed that CPS contacted her, and she welcomed an investigation, asserting she has "never touched my child in my f—king life."
Paul referred to Mortensen, 33, as "the poison in my life" and expressed her intent to reveal his alleged behavior. She questioned why Mortensen would accuse her of abuse if she is consistently caring for their son. Paul also noted the timing of Mortensen's actions, suggesting it was strategic as her season of "The Bachelorette" was set to premiere. The episode concluded with a message indicating that production was paused following Paul's phone call. Three months later, the show's remaining cast members, excluding Paul, discussed the cancellation of her "Bachelorette" season.
Earlier in the season, Paul admitted to cheating on her "Bachelorette" winner, Doug Mason, with Mortensen after filming the ABC show. She also faced friction with other cast members who questioned Mason's authenticity.
Page Six previously reported that Season 5 of "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" was paused in March amid a domestic abuse investigation involving Paul and Mortensen. Shortly thereafter, ABC pulled Paul's "Bachelorette" season following the leak of a video depicting a 2023 domestic violence incident between the former couple. Paul was reportedly under a third domestic violence investigation by the West Jordan Police Department, in addition to two others being conducted by Draper Police in Utah. While recent charges against Paul have been dropped, she remains involved in a custody dispute with Mortensen, who has petitioned for a protective order against her.
In June, Paul briefly entered a rehabilitation facility. For Season 6 of "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," Paul is expected to return, with insiders stating she has been "working on herself" and has the support of ABC and Disney throughout her personal challenges. The source indicated "a very open line of communication with ABC, and they've been supportive throughout this process."