Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen's Courtroom Drama-Who Gets Custody of the Pair's Son?
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Taylor Frankie Paul's recent custody battle took a turn during an April 30th court date. The mom of three and ex, Dakota Mortensen, faced off after a contentious few months that included a viral video, domestic assault allegations, and plenty of off-screen drama.
Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen's Relationship Timeline
This isn't exactly the first public controversy for the reality TV star. The #MomTok influencer gained notoriety after a ‘soft-swinging' scandal within her Mormon influencer friend group broke publicly. Following a divorce from her then-husband, Tate Paul, Taylor joined the newly formed cast of Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives as the show's primary figure.
The first season of the hit series aired in September of 2024. Two years prior to the premiere (in 2022), Paul began dating Dakota Mortensen. The show chronicled her relationship with Mortensen and her friendships within the MomTok group, painting Paul as somewhat volatile and always outspoken.
In 2023, the MomTok star was arrested following an alleged physical altercation with Mortensen. Three years later, a video of the incident surfaced, stopping production on the fifth season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and nixing Paul's stint on The Bachelorette.
As we all know now, the conflict between Paul and Mortensen didn't end there. Last month, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office announced it would not file criminal charges against Paul. But that still left the custody of her youngest child up in the air.
Who Are Taylor Frankie Paul's Children?
The reality TV star has three children. She co-parents her two oldest, daughter Indy (born in 2016) and son Ocean (born in 2020), with ex-husband Tate Paul. She shares her youngest child, son Ever (born in 2024), with Mortensen.
Taylor Frankie Paul's Recent Courtroom Battle
Mortensen filed for a protective order against Paul in March 2026. He was awarded temporary custody of the couple's son, Ever, at the time. In early April, a judge granted Paul supervised visitation until the pair's April 30 court date.
On April 30, the court granted both of the reality TV stars mutual protective orders, with Third District Court CommissionerRussell Minas saying (of the couple being in the same place at the same time), "All of the evidence seems to suggest that's a bad idea." The three-year orders require Paul and Mortensen to stay at least 100 feet apart or face criminal charges.
Who Got Custody of the Reality Stars' Child?
While the court issued protective orders, it did not announce a custody arrangement. Instead, Minas will make written recommendations based on the evidence provided by May 11. A review hearing to determine parent time schedules is set for June 1.
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 5:22 AM.