Taylor Frankie Paul hugged Dakota Mortensen’s mom after the former couple’s custody and protective order hearing on Thursday, April 30.
Taylor, 31, was pictured embracing Cheyenne Cranford Mortensen inside Salt Lake City’s Third District Courthouse following Thursday’s hearing, during which a judge issued Taylor and Dakota, 33, protective orders against each other. The exes share a 2-year-old son, Ever.
Utah Commissioner Russell Minas ordered the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives stars to stay 100 feet away from each other for a period of three years, describing their relationship as “dysfunctional.”
“This has been a very toxic relationship. It’s beyond the pale in a lot of ways, the toxicity,” Minas said on Thursday. “What I’ve seen from the evidence even post [the] last hearing, there seems to be a continuing attraction that they have for each other. … You guys have to figure out a lot here. You have to figure out how to function as coparents.”
“I’m hoping that you’re not people who just thrive on the drama and the conflict,” the judge added. “You’ve got to put your child first and shield the child from this conflict. I’m going to leave the current order in place. I need to think a little bit more about this lifting of supervision. I have mixed feelings about it.”
Minas did not make any changes to the couple’s custody agreement on Thursday. Dakota was granted temporary custody of Ever in March amid allegations of domestic violence between him and Taylor. Taylor is currently allowed up to eight hours of supervised visitation with the toddler. (The influencer also shares daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul.)
Dakota filed for a temporary protective order against Taylor in March amid two police investigations into domestic violence allegations involving the exes. Taylor was granted her own temporary protective order against Dakota in April.
In March, Utah’s Draper City Police Department said it was investigating an alleged domestic violence incident between the pair that took place in February. NBC News subsequently reported that Utah’s West Jordan Police Department was looking into claims made against Taylor by Dakota stemming from an alleged domestic dispute in 2024.
In April, prosecutors declined to press charges against Taylor in connection with the two police investigations.
“After reviewing reports and evidence submitted to the Draper Police Department and West Jordan Police Department, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office has declined to file charges against Taylor Frankie Paul,” district attorney Sim Gill’s office said in a statement obtained by Us Weekly on April 14.
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Following Thursday’s hearing, Taylor’s attorney, Eric M. Swinyard, told Us in a statement, “Today’s hearing was a significant step forward as the Court entered protective orders requiring that Taylor’s ex-partner stays far away from her.”
“Taylor was incredibly candid with the Court that she is not perfect and owned her faults, which is in direct contrast to how the other party presented their argument, despite evidence and input from law enforcement that showed otherwise,” Swinyard continued. “Taylor feels solidarity with the many survivors who have endured similar hardships behind closed doors and shared only part of their stories, and she remains grateful for the outpouring of support she continues to receive. She looks forward to continuing to cooperate with the Court to make progress in the custody case.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
