Reality Star Taylor Frankie Paul Faces Multiple Domestic Violence Investigations Amid TV Career Disruptions

Reality television personality Taylor Frankie Paul, known for founding the MomTok TikTok collective and appearing on Hulu's 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,' is involved in multiple domestic violence investigations with former partner Dakota Mortensen. These incidents have significantly impacted her television career, leading to production pauses and cancellations. Paul previously pleaded guilty in abeyance to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault following a 2023 altercation with Mortensen. A video from that incident, showing Paul throwing barstools and placing Mortensen in a headlock while their daughter was present, was publicly released in March 2026. This led ABC to cancel her scheduled season of 'The Bachelorette.' Filming for the fifth season of 'Mormon Wives' was also halted. Three separate police investigations are currently active: one from February 2023, a second opened in February 2026, and a third initiated in March 2026 regarding an incident in early-mid 2024. As a result, Mortensen was granted temporary custody of their two-year-old son, Ever, and Paul's visitation rights were suspended pending a protective order hearing. The controversies stem from Paul's rise to fame through MomTok, a group of content creators who shared aspects of their lives as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The group's dynamics, including a 'soft swinging' scandal Paul disclosed in 2022, formed the basis for the Hulu reality series. The show has explored both lighthearted topics and serious issues like gender roles within the church, becoming Hulu's most-watched unscripted season premiere in 2024. Paul's legal and personal troubles have raised questions about the sustainability of her public persona and the MomTok phenomenon.