The former couple previously appeared in court on April 7 to discuss visitation for Paul and their son Ever.

Court official addresses Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen’s ‘very toxic relationship,’ extends protective orders

The former couple previously appeared in court on April 7 to discuss visitation for Paul and their son Ever.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

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on April 30, 2026 9:51 p.m. ET

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Taylor Frankie Paul; Dakota Mortensen. Credit:

Hulu; Sara Jaye/Getty

- Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen returned to court to discuss visitation rights for their son Ever and dueling protective orders.

- The commissioner recommended mutual protective orders for the former couple that would extend three years.

- The former couple has a history of domestic violence. On April 14, it was announced that Paul wouldn't face new charges amid the domestic violence investigation.

Mutual protective orders have been recommended for Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen.

On Thursday, April 30, the *Secret Lives of Mormon Wives *star and her ex-boyfriend returned to court in Utah to discuss visitation rights for their son Ever, along with dueling requests for protective orders.

During the hearing that lasted over two hours, overseen by Commissioner Russell Minas, mutual protective orders were recommended for Paul and Mortensen that would extend to three years. Should they violate the protective orders, they can face criminal charges. The commissioner said that the former couple cannot be in the same place at the same time before it starts to turn "violent" between them.

Additionally, Paul and Mortensen were told to work toward mediation. "You guys have to figure out a lot here. You have to figure out how to function as co-parents," Commissioner Minas said. He added that the former couple are in a “very toxic relationship” that is “beyond the pale."

"You’re modeling right now how you deal with conflict to a 2-year-old," he pointed out. "This is going to affect the child."

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter*****.******** Parental time is under advisement of Commissioner Minas. Paul and Mortensen will receive a written recommendation no later than May 11 should there be any changes to parent time. The eight hours of parental visit time that was previously recommended on April 7 for Paul will remain in place.

The former couple is due back in court on June 1.**

Taylor Frankie Paul in Los Angeles in April 2025.

Monica Schipper/Getty

“Today’s hearing was a significant step forward as the Court entered protective orders requiring that Taylor’s ex-partner stays far away from her," Paul’s attorney Eric M. Swinyard told * *in a statement after the hearing. "Taylor was incredibly candid with the Court that she is not perfect and owned her faults, which is in direct contrast to how the other party presented their argument, despite evidence and input from law enforcement that showed otherwise."

The statement continued, "Taylor feels solidarity with the many survivors who have endured similar hardships behind closed doors and shared only part of their stories, and she remains grateful for the outpouring of support she continues to receive. She looks forward to continuing to cooperate with the Court to make progress in the custody case."

Paul and Mortensen previously appeared in court on April 7 to discuss custody of 2-year-old Ever. Shortly before the hearing, Paul filed a request for a temporary restraining order. They have a history of domestic violence allegations.

In February 2023, the former couple got into an argument that became physical when Paul threw metal stools at Mortensen. Paul was initially charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child (Paul's daughter, Indy, was in the room at the time of the argument) but those charges were dismissed.

Later that year, Paul pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault following a domestic violence incident. She is on probation until August. Paul has been candid about the incident and the arrest since.

More recently, Paul and Mortensen were under investigation following two alleged domestic violence incidents in February, and a third said to have happened in 2024.

Amid the investigations, the reality show *The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives *paused filming its fifth season. A source told * *at the time that cameras weren't rolling when the alleged incidents took place and that Paul's children weren't present.

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Days later, on March 19, a video was released by TMZ of Paul and Mortensen's alleged Februrary 2023 altercation. Paul's season of *The Bachelorette** *was slated to premiere the following weekend. Following the video's release, however, ABC's parent company Disney decided to pull the plug, canceling its premiere and pulling subsequent episodes from the network's schedule.

Paul's rep told *EW* in response to the video leaking that "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."

Mortensen released his own statement, saying, "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. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same." Mortensen was granted a temporary restraining order and custody of Ever on March 20.

Weeks later, on April 14, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office announced that Paul won't face new charges in the wake of the domestic violence investigation since several of the allegations fell outside the statute of limitations.

Dakota Mortensen in Park City, Utah, in January 2026.

Sara Jaye/Getty

*If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at **1-800-799-7233**, or go to **thehotline.org**. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.*

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