Taylor Frankie Paul‘s ex Dakota Mortensen has been granted temporary custody of their son, Ever, during their ongoing domestic violence investigation.
According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly on Friday, March 20, Mortensen, 33, was granted temporary custody of Ever, 2. Mortensen was also granted a temporary protective order against Paul, 31.
According to the plea, Paul is not allowed parenting time or visitation pending the pair’s April 7 hearing. Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star can be arrested if he violates the order.
Mortensen filed for immunity on Thursday, March 19, shortly after video surfaced of Paul throwing chairs at him during the 2023 incident. Paul was previously arrested in February 2023 following a heated argument with Mortensen. He was charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence involving a child, aggravated battery and criminal mischief.
Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault charges at the time. The remaining charges against him were dropped. (Paul is also mom to daughter Indy, 8 — who can be heard crying in the aforementioned video — and son Ocean, 5, with her ex-husband. Father Paul.)
After a video of Taylor and Mortensen’s altercation made headlines, ABC announced its decision not to continue with Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette, which was set to premiere on Sunday, March 22.
“We have decided not to continue with the new season The Bachelorette at this time,” said a spokesperson for Disney Entertainment Television Us in a statement on Thursday. “We are focused on supporting the family.”
Taylor then released his own statement about the cancellation. “Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes the safety and security of her family,” the star’s rep said. Us. “After years of silent mental and physical abuse and threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally finding the strength to confront the accuser and is taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm. She is currently exploring all her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
Taylor Frankie Paul is not in touch with Dakota Mortensen after their fight. “Right now, they’re not communicating at all,” a source told Us Weekly exclusively. “Everything related to the maintenance of Ever is handled by family members.” News broke on Monday, March 16, that Taylor, 31, and Dakota were involved in a domestic incident. […]
Mortensen also issued a statement in response to Paul’s comments, telling Us“As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a very upsetting situation. Unfortunately, I am used to these baseless allegations about me and our relationship, which I completely deny. I am focused on our son and his safety, and I hope Taylor does the same.”
Taylor and Mortensen’s 2023 incident made headlines after the two were involved in another domestic dispute last month. A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department said Us that “communication is done with the parties involved [February] on the 24th and 25th” regarding an alleged altercation between runaway students. The spokesman added that “allegations have been made on both sides” and that there is an open “domestic assault investigation”.
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.
