The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has allegedly halted production after Taylor Frankie Paul and her off-and-on ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen were involved in a domestic violence dispute while filming season 5.
Multiple outlets reported in March that an incident took place between Taylor and Dakota. A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department subsequently confirmed to People that there is an open “domestic assault investigation” involving the former couple.
This isn’t the first time Taylor and Dakota’s volatile relationship has caused legal issues. The pair started dating before the hit show premiered on Hulu in September 2024. Dakota was Taylor’s first public boyfriend after her divorce from husband Tate Paul following a high-profile “soft swinging” sex scandal.
Taylor and Dakota faced major ups and downs — including a domestic violence arrest — before they expanded their family with son Ever in March 2024. (Taylor also shares kids Indy and Ocean with Tate.)
After The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives documented their numerous attempts to reconcile, Taylor pulled the plug on their relationship over Dakota sexting her family friend in 2025. She signed on to be the next Bachelorette — despite season 4 of Mormon Wives showing her having sex with Dakota hours before her flight to the Bachelor Mansion — and Taylor and Dakota appeared to have moved on.
Off screen, however, news broke about Taylor and Dakota’s domestic violence incident. Keep scrolling for everything to know so far about their relationship — and the future of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
When Did the Incident Take Place?
TMZ and People confirmed in March that an alleged domestic dispute led to Hulu pressing pause on filming. The cast was filming the fifth season of the hit reality series when a spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed that “allegations have been made in both directions” and “contact was made with involved parties on [Feb] 24th and 25th.”
Us Weekly has reached out for comment.
How Does This Affect MomTok?
People reported that members of MomTok have distanced themselves from Taylor Frankie Paul as the situation continues to unfold. Jen Affleck, Mikayla Matthews, Mayci Neeley, Jessi Ngatikaura, Layla Taylor and Miranda Hope have been filming the show, while Demi Engemann and Whitney Leavitt‘s respective futures on Mormon Wives remain more unclear.
When Was the 1st Time Taylor and Dakota Had a Domestic Violence Dispute?
Taylor Frankie Paul started dating Dakota Mortensen shortly after her soft-swinging scandal and subsequent divorce from Tate Paul. After nearly one year together, Taylor was arrested in February 2023 for domestic violence. She was ultimately charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse with injury and criminal mischief after the incident.
Taylor pleaded guilty six months later to aggravated assault, while the other four charges were dismissed with prejudice. She reached a plea deal the following month. Dakota, for his part, defended Taylor despite their rocky relationship status.
After the incident in 2023, Dakota Mortensen told the Daily Mail in an interview that Taylor Frankie Paul would never hurt anyone “intentionally,” adding, “She’s a good mom, she’s going through a lot in her life right now. Taylor’s been struggling, it’s been a hard year for her. She is racked with guilt [over] her cheating scandal that cost her her marriage.”
Taylor also addressed the incident after body camera footage was released alongside the series premiere of Mormon Wives.
“Getting arrested, it was the worst night of my life. I ended up being charged with aggravated assault with three years of probation,” she shared on the show in 2024. “After the arrest, I was under so much stress. I was filmed leaving the jail and then that was immediately on the internet. It was a blessing in disguise. It helped me wake up.”
During her September 2025 appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Taylor confirmed that the charges “were all dropped.”
What Is the Custody Situation for Taylor and Dakota’s Son?
TMZ reported in March 2026 that Dakota Mortensen went to court over custody and support of their son Ever nine months prior. Taylor Frankie Paul filed a response and counterclaim a couple of weeks after Dakota took legal action in June 2025.
According to court documents obtained by the outlet, a proposed order on custody, support and parenting time was filed in the case around September 2025. More documents were filed in connection to Dakota’s income in December 2025, but there hasn’t been any progress since then.
