Taylor Frankie Paul's team frames her as a survivor finally gaining strength to face her accuser after 'years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse.' Her rep says she wants to protect their son Ever from negative press about his father.
Insiders say this custody hearing could be explosive. Paul's attorney Eric Swinyard literally called it a 'showdown,' while Mortensen's lawyer Joel Kittrell promised they'd use the April 30 date to 'tell the true story' and 'assassinate Dakota's character.' Neither side is playing nice.
March 19, 2026: Mortensen filed a protective order AND TMZ released video of a 2023 altercation where Paul threw chairs while her child was present. April 14, 2026: Salt Lake County DA announced NO new charges would be filed against Paul after two separate police investigations. Both incidents occurred in Utah.
Today's hearing in Utah's Third District Court will determine whether these reality stars can co-parent—or if their son Ever becomes the real casualty of this toxic war.
Taylor Frankie Paul walked into her April 30 court date hoping for a civilized custody conversation. She got something else entirely. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star and her ex Dakota Mortensen are squaring off in Utah's Third District Court today to hash out the competing protective orders they've filed against each other—all while fighting over custody of their 2-year-old son, Ever.
Paul's attorney Eric Swinyard didn't mince words during an April 7 remote hearing where temporary custody was awarded to Mortensen with supervised visitation for Paul: "We'll have a showdown on the 30th." That prediction is looking prescient. The explosion publicly started on March 19, 2026—the same day TMZ dropped footage of a 2023 physical altercation between the former couple. In the video, Mortensen can be seen recording as Paul yells at him and attempts to strike him, eventually putting him in a headlock.
"Look," he says in the clip, "this is called physical abuse." The responding police officer's written declaration confirmed their then-5-year-old daughter was present and was struck by one of the metal stools Paul hurled across the room. That same day, Mortensen, 33, filed his protective order against Paul, 31, alleging physical abuse during two separate February incidents. But here's where it gets complicated: Paul fired back with her own temporary restraining order, accusing Mortensen of "a pattern of abusive conduct and coercive control" throughout their three-year on-again, off-again relationship.
Her representative released a statement claiming the video release was part of "a destructive campaign to harm" her that "conveniently omits context" about Mortensen's alleged behavior. The real estate agent categorically denied those allegations as "baseless." Meanwhile, filming for season five of SLOMW was halted after an alleged February 2026 confrontation between them prompted a domestic assault investigation by Draper City Police—with investigators confirming "allegations have been made in both directions." The legal landscape shifted significantly on April 14 when the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office announced it would NOT file new charges against Paul after reviewing investigations from both Draper and West Jordan Police Departments.
A spokesperson noted that "due to the high profile of the defendant, the cases were reviewed by multiple attorneys." That doesn't mean Paul's out of the woods—she still carries a 2023 guilty plea to aggravated assault (a third-degree felony) that's been held in abeyance for three years as part of her plea deal. But it does complicate Mortensen's narrative significantly. His attorney Joel Kittrell made that clear after the April 7 custody hearing, saying, "Today's hearing was used by the respondent to assassinate Dakota's character as a dad, whose only concern is for the welfare of his son.
We look forward to the 30th to tell the true story." Paul's legal team is equally prepared for battle. "We all know that social media has made up its mind about my client," said her attorney Swinyard after the same hearing. "The court, unlike social media, actually has to get it right.
The evidence we believe, on the 30th when viewed in its totality, will show who the real abuser is, who the real violent actor has been during the party's relationship." What happens in that courtroom today won't just affect their son—it'll determine whether Paul's already-damaged public image survives another blow, and whether Mortensen can prove his claims have merit. Buckle up.