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Taylor Frankie Paul has spoken out about her relationship with Dakota Mortensen, sharing a raw Instagram post on May 14 where she described years of alleged manipulation, threats, and humiliation.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star admitted she is "fully not innocent" but said she endured miscarriages, pregnancy, postpartum struggles, and betrayal that left her in "survival mode." She claimed she was too afraid to ask for help because of her probation status, alleging Mortensen used that against her.
Paul wrote that she was "love bombed, then manipulated, threatened [and] physically hurt," adding that she faced police involvement, public humiliation, and lost friends. She said Child Protective Services was called and that she ended up in court after finally deciding to walk away.
Reflecting on the relationship, she said her love was genuine but questioned whether his was. "I wish he had been the person he pretended to be. The mask fell off, and not only with me," she wrote, noting that while both were at fault, she never wanted to ruin his life or take his child away.
"We're both in the wrong. What I can say is I didn't want to ruin his life, call cops on him, take his child away, or claim complete innocence ... that's the difference between us."
Her post also targeted former friend and costar Mikayla Matthews, who distanced herself amid the legal drama. "She can go kick rocks instead of kicking me right now," Paul wrote, explaining she was sharing her emotions publicly as part of her healing process.
Paul's legal troubles have already affected her career. ABC shelved her season of The Bachelorette after footage surfaced of a domestic violence incident between her and Mortensen in 2023. She pled guilty to aggravated assault and remains on probation. Production on Mormon Wives season 5 was also paused after police investigations into further disputes, though prosecutors declined to press charges.
In late April, both Paul and Mortensen were granted protective orders requiring them to stay 100 feet apart. They remain in a custody battle over their two-year-old son, Ever, who is currently in Mortensen's temporary custody. Paul has been granted up to 12 hours of supervised visitation. She also shares two older children, Indy and Ocean, with ex-husband Tate Paul.
