‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Paused Amid Domestic Abuse Investigation Involving Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen

Filming for season five of Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has been temporarily halted following an alleged altercation between cast member Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen. The pause comes as Draper City Police Department investigates allegations of domestic abuse made by both parties.

Investigation Details

The Draper City Police Department confirmed to People that a “domestic assault investigation” is currently open regarding Paul and Mortensen, parents to 23-month-old Ever. Police made contact with both individuals on February 24th and 25th, but have declined to release further details due to the ongoing nature of the investigation .

Conflicting Accounts and DCFS Involvement

Sources close to Taylor Frankie Paul state she “owns her mistakes” and is primarily focused on protecting her son, Ever, from negative publicity surrounding his father. According to TMZ, Dakota Mortensen has contacted the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) multiple times, alleging physical abuse by Paul towards their son. Paul denies these allegations, and Mortensen reportedly expressed frustration with the lack of action taken by DCFS .

The situation escalated late last month when Paul and Mortensen were involved in a heated argument in Mortensen’s car. Sources connected to Paul claim Mortensen became physically aggressive after a drink was spilled. Mortensen, however, reportedly told police that Paul initiated the physical altercation .

As a result of the multiple allegations, both Paul and Mortensen have been ordered by DCFS to undergo psychological evaluations. These evaluations have not yet been completed .

Impact on Production and Cast Dynamics

Production on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was halted after Mortensen went “MIA” for nearly three weeks following the car incident, impacting his ability to film. However, another source told People that cast members were unwilling to continue filming due to the serious allegations of child and spousal abuse, despite producers’ initial desire to proceed .

Sources indicate that Paul’s relationship with other cast members is currently “great,” clarifying that the production pause was not due to internal conflicts within the group .

Taylor Frankie Paul’s Other Ventures

This situation unfolds shortly after the conclusion of season four of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and just before Paul is set to star as the lead in the upcoming season of ABC’s The Bachelorette, marking a first for the franchise by casting someone outside of the traditional “Bachelor Nation” pool .

Representatives for Taylor Frankie Paul, Dakota Mortensen, Hulu, and ABC have not yet responded to requests for comment .