Dakota Mortensen’s ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ future revealed as Season 5 resumes production

Filming for ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Season 5 had been halted in mid-March this year after allegations of domestic violence surfaced.
A still of Dakota Mortensen and the official poster of 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' (Cover Image Source: (L) & (R) Instagram | @dakota_mortensen; @hulu)
A still of Dakota Mortensen and the official poster of 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' (Cover Image Source: (L) & (R) Instagram | @dakota_mortensen; @hulu)

Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, share a tumultuous relationship at best. While every couple goes through ups and downs in their relationship at some point, Paul and Mortensen seem to push each other towards disaster. Their relationship has been the subject of much of the four previously aired seasons of the hit Hulu reality television series 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.' The filming of Season 5 of the show was halted midway through this year in mid-March after allegations of domestic violence surfaced against Paul. 

According to a report by PEOPLE magazine, Paul and Mortensen were involved in a domestic violence incident on February 24, and the Draper Police Department subsequently considered the case and launched their investigation. As news of the case began circulating, the media outlet TMZ released footage from 2023 showing the former couple in a heated exchange, during which Paul was seen shouting and throwing chairs at Mortensen while a child stood nearby. According to court documents, Mortensen consequently filed for a protective order against Paul on March 19. This coincided with ABC's decision to hold back the release of the upcoming season of 'The Bachelorette,' which was supposed to be released three days later and would have featured Paul. 

Taylor Frankie Paul in a promotional still for 'The Bachelorette' (Image Source: Instagram | @taylorfrankiepaul)
Taylor Frankie Paul in a promotional still for 'The Bachelorette' (Image Source: Instagram | @taylorfrankiepaul)

Prosecutors announced on April 14 that they will not pursue the case against Paul. As of this writing, it seems likely that both Mortensen and Paul won't be returning to 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' as filming for Season 5 has resumed. Although she hasn't explicitly said anything to this effect, it is being speculated that Paul might return to the reality show sometime in the future. The former couple shares a 2-year-old son named Ever. A source close to the production of the Hulu reality series had previously confided that the cast members were keen to keep their distance from Paul after the allegations against her became public. The source mentioned, "The girls are very overwhelmed. They all banded together, and they don’t want to come back right now. They were just getting tired of Taylor, honestly." 

Dakota Mortensen with his son Ever (Image Source: Instagram | @dakota_mortensen)
Dakota Mortensen with his son Ever (Image Source: Instagram | @dakota_mortensen)

Another source close to the cast had added, "None of the women want to be associated with her." Paul has a record as she was arrested on domestic violence charges back in 2023, and she subsequently pled guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault. Her compliance with the conditions of the plea led to the dismissal of the charges against her. Following a recent hearing on April 8, a judge granted Mortensen custody of Paul, allowing up to 8 supervised visits per week.

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