Dakota Mortensen is taking legal action.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives alum—who has appeared on the Hulu reality series with his now-ex Taylor Frankie Paul—has filed a lawsuit against the network, as well as Jeff Jenkins Productions and Ludwig Productions, according to court documents obtained by multipleoutlets Nov. 13.
In his suit, the 33-year-old alleged that seasons three, four, and five of the series presented him “to millions of viewers as a domestic abuser,” per court documents obtained by local outlet ABC4 Utah, “as a man who retaliated against the mother of his child by reporting her to Child Protective Services, and as a serial adulterer.”
Earlier this year, a legal battle between Mortensen and Paul—who share a 2-year-old son—began after he filed to request a protective order against on her on the same day that TMZ published a video of a 2023 physical altercation featuring the former couple.
In April, Paul—who is also mom to two kids with ex-husband Tate Paul—then requested her own temporary restraining order, alleging Mortensen had a “pattern of abusive conduct and coercive control” throughout their on-again, off-again romance.
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Later that month, per Today, a judge granted mutual protective orders.
Mortensen also alleges in his lawsuit against the network that producers created storylines “assembled from staged events and from the deliberate deletion of footage that contradicted the storyline, and published after the producers had been informed by Mortensen and by others, that the allegations were false.”
More specifically, Mortensen alleges cameras captured Paul striking Mortensen with a pizza box while filming season five, per ABC 4 Utah, and demanded that the footage be included in the episodes that aired, but that it was excluded from the final cut.
E! News has reached out to Paul’s reps for comment about the alleged incident.
“The knowingly false portrayal of Mortensen as the abuser in the relationship continued uninterrupted,” the suit states, “while the only footage of physical aggression between the two, aggression by Paul against Mortensen, was intentionally withheld from viewers to promote a false narrative.”
Mortensen is asking for compensatory damages, ABC 4 Utah reports, as well as other damages. E! News has reached out to Hulu and Mortensen’s attorney for comment and has not yet heard back.
In mid-April, Paul was granted supervised visitation with her and Mortensen’s son and one week later, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release it would not be filing charges against her after completing two separate investigations led by the Draper Police Department and West Jordan Police Department.
For his part, Mortensen previously described the situation between the two as “deeply upsetting.”
“I am focusing on our son and his safety,” he told E! News in a statement in March, “and hope that Taylor will do the same.”
For a closer look at the timeline of the allegations made between Paul and Mortensen, keep reading…
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Paul was charged with one count of felony aggravated assault, two counts of felony domestic violence in the presence of a child causing injury, one count of misdemeanor child abuse and one count of misdemeanor criminal mischief, according to court documents released by the District Attorney for Salt Lake County and obtained by E! News at the time.
A Herriman Police Department officer who responded to the incident said that when he arrived, Mortensen “reported he was in an argument with his girlfriend,” according to a written declaration in the court documents. The officer further stated that “during the argument, Mortensen attempted to leave the residence, however [Paul] began hitting him.”
Her plea was held in abeyance for three years, at which time the charge would be entered as a Class A misdemeanor as long as Paul abided by the terms of her plea agreement, per the documents.
According to her plea deal, Paul was to obtain both a substance abuse evaluation and a domestic violence evaluation and complete any recommended treatment over a three-year period—as well as not violate any major laws.
“He stood by me with that because he knew everything going on behind closed doors,” she said. “That was a horrible night and I’m full of regret. Dakota has been at rock bottom himself, so he could totally relate. He was like, ‘I want to help you out of this.'”
As for the confrontation itself, she later said the incident had been building up.
“I had an ectopic [pregnancy] a few months prior, and then I had a chemical pregnancy,” she shared on the Viall Files podcast in September 2024. “I don’t want to blame hormones, but I will put that into account. Like, I am pretty whack.”
Paul added that the events had left her feeling lost and angry, saying, “I was feeling so low I went and drank that night. And Dakota picks me up and he’s angry that I drank.”
“I remember throwing things, and I don’t know my daughters on the couch. We had babysitters there, so I think they’re upstairs sleeping,” she said, alleging that Mortensen tried to tell her that her then 5-year-old daughter was present, but “I’m like so gone I don’t care, and I throw another chair.”
“Dakota and I were living together and in bliss with our new baby, and I was even considering engagement,” she said on the premiere episode. “And then I learned that he was lying this entire time.”
During a season four episode of SLOMW, Mortensen admitted to cheating with their friend Shinia Powell, telling Taylor during a FaceTime call, “Was it dumb of me? Yes. Could I have picked someone else? Yes. Who it was matters, and that’s where I think I went wrong. I picked somebody that was obviously going to come with problems, and that was very s–tty of me to do.”
But for Paul, it was a welcome change, saying in a teaser for the season, “I do believe I was gifted this for another chapter in my life.”
“I’ve been criticized, I’ve been judged and I’ve been rejected,” Paul continued, “but anyone that takes the time to know me will see that I’m actually a genuine person and I mean well and a person that deserves another chance at love.”
He added that he and Paul had both done “a lot of things” to “hurt each other,” but believed that overall the two still loved each other.
The pair agreed their relationship was “toxic,” with Paul saying that being on The Bachelorette “will be one the best things for us, regardless of what happens. This would be the best break and breakoff of our cycle. You could do a lot of healing.”
But Mortensen made it clear he was still interested in a relationship, telling Paul, “I’m happy for you. I want you to be happy. That’s what I’m saying, if you find someone, like, great. But all I’m gonna say—save a rose for me, ‘kay?”
A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed to People on March 16 that there was an open “domestic assault investigation” regarding Paul and Mortensen—telling the outlet that “allegations have been made in both directions.” The spokesperson explained “contact was made with involved parties on [Feb] 24th and 25th,” but declined to share more information due to the ongoing investigation.
As a source shared with E! News, “Taylor owns her mistakes, all she wants to do is protect her son, Ever, from stories in the press or anything negative about his father and wants him to think well of his father.”
In the video, Mortensen can be seen recording the fight on his phone as Paul yells at him and attempts to strike him, at one point putting him in a headlock.
“Look,” Mortensen can be heard saying, “this is called physical abuse.”
He could also be heard telling her that her daughter was present as Paul began throwing metal barstools at him. During the altercation, Paul accused Mortensen of pushing her to the floor before he started recording, while he alleged, “You did this,” and asked her to help her then-5-year-old. Later, Paul could be heard yelling, “Get away from my daughter.”
The responding police officer’s written declaration obtained by E! News in 2023 confirmed the child was hit by one of the stools.
After the video was published, a spokesperson for Paul told E! News in a statement that the video was part of “a destructive campaign to harm” her, saying it “conveniently omits context” and was meant to “distract” from Mortensen’s actions. As for the real estate agent, he denied her claims as “baseless.”
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” her rep told E! News. “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”
The statement continued, “There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives.”
Her rep confirmed that Paul was “currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
“I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship,” he said, “which I categorically deny.”
“I am focusing on our son and his safety,” Paul added, “and hope that Taylor will do the same.”
According to the outlet, the news release noted, “Due to the high profile of the defendant, the cases were reviewed by multiple attorneys.”
