Dakota Mortensen’s Team Responds to Taylor Frankie Paul’s Allegations
Dakota Mortensen‘s attorney criticized Taylor Frankie Paul‘s allegations against his client during a joint court appearance as part of their ongoing custody dispute.
“Today’s hearing served as a platform for the respondent to attack Dakota’s character as a father, whose primary focus is the well-being of his son, Ever,” Joel Kittrell shared with Us Weekly. “We are eager for the 30th to present the actual narrative.”
Paul, 31, and Mortensen, 33, participated virtually in court on Tuesday, April 7, to address visitation rights after a judge previously awarded Mortensen temporary custody of their son, Ever, 2. Paul received supervised visits with their child for eight hours weekly until a protective hearing on April 30, where her parenting restrictions will be reassessed.
The judge mandated that the supervised visits be overseen by a neutral third party. Other alternatives were discussed, contingent upon both parties reaching an agreement on the individuals present during Taylor’s visits with Ever, with those individuals consenting to the court’s jurisdiction.
Us Weekly confirmed on Tuesday that Paul has filed a temporary protection order against Mortensen. (Previously, Mortensen secured a temporary protective order against Taylor in March when he attained temporary custody of Ever.)
In her filing, Paul claimed that Mortensen displayed “increasingly possessive” behavior leading up to her season of The Bachelorette. (That season was ultimately canceled by ABC on March 19, just days before its intended premiere.)
Among Paul’s accusations was the claim that her ex tattooed “TFP” inside his mouth on Valentine’s Day in February.
“Given his increasingly possessive and erratic behavior, and considering that we were no longer in a relationship, this was exceedingly concerning,” she stated in her filing from Tuesday, as reported by People. “My initials are now permanently inked on the body of a man who has shown abusive and possessive tendencies towards me.”
The turbulent nature of their relationship was previously depicted on Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which is currently on hiatus following an alleged domestic dispute between Paul and Mortensen in February.
Paul is currently on probation following her 2023 arrest related to a separate physical incident involving Mortensen. She entered a guilty plea for aggravated assault as part of a plea deal, which included the dismissal of additional charges related to domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse with injury, and criminal mischief. (Paul shares daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul.)
Leaked footage from the 2023 incident showed Paul throwing several chairs at Mortensen, one of which appeared to hit her daughter. Following this, ABC announced the cancellation of Paul’s forthcoming season of The Bachelorette.
“Taylor is very appreciative of ABC’s support as she focuses on her family’s safety and well-being,” a representative for Paul stated to Us. “Taylor has opted for silence out of concern for potential further abuse, retaliation, and public humiliation. She is currently exploring all available options, seeking support, and preparing to take ownership of and share her story.”
