SALT LAKE CITY — After weeks of headlines about home disputes, bodily violence, prison investigations and off-screen drama, a Utah courtroom official put it to actuality stars Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen merely: You “must avoid one another.”
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The official finally granted the “The Secret Lives of Mormon Housewives” stars mutual protecting orders at a courtroom listening to Thursday. It was the primary time the on-again, off-again couple had been seen collectively in public since their home violence case made nationwide headlines and a video of an altercation scuttled the productions and broadcasts of two well-liked actuality sequence, “Secret Lives” and “The Bachelorette,” which Paul was purported to be fronting.
Paul and Mortensen’s assembly Thursday was not like those “Mormon Wives” viewers are used to on display screen — neither Paul nor Mortensen appeared to acknowledge the opposite. Each have been calm, respectful and attentive throughout the almost two-hour listening to, which hashed out the deserves of their competing momentary protecting orders.
The one piece of familiarity for followers: Paul confirmed up a bit late, carrying a neutral-toned outfit with a Louis Vuitton tote slung over her shoulder.
Paul, 31, and her ex-partner, Mortensen, 33, had filed dueling petitions for protecting orders towards one another and have each claimed the opposite has been abusive. Their attorneys argued for the household courtroom official to facet with their shoppers’ order and toss out the opposite, whereas additionally arguing over who ought to have main custody of their shared 2-year-old son.
Third District Courtroom Commissioner Russell Minas mentioned that whereas each had “advantage” to their arguments, for the sake of their son, the pair shouldn’t be in the identical place on the identical time.
“All the proof appears to recommend that’s a nasty thought,” Minas mentioned.
Following courtroom, Eric Swinyard, one in all Paul’s attorneys, mentioned his staff is happy with the result.
“What we needed on the [domestic violence] entrance was for the connection to be over,” he mentioned, including, “We needed orders in place.”
The orders, which can final three years, mandate that Paul and Mortensen keep 100 toes away from one another, Minas mentioned. Whether it is violated, “they are going to face prison costs.”
Minas acknowledged that Paul and Mortensen have a “very poisonous relationship” but a “persevering with attraction to one another.”
“I’m hoping that you simply’re not individuals who simply thrive on the drama and the battle,” he instructed the pair. “You’ve acquired to place your youngster first and protect the kid from this battle.”
Swinyard, in a press release, additionally acknowledged that his shopper has taken accountability for her previous actions.
“Taylor was extremely candid with the courtroom that she will not be excellent and owned her faults, which is in direct distinction to how the opposite get together offered their argument, regardless of proof and enter from legislation enforcement that confirmed in any other case,” he mentioned.
Attorneys for Mortensen didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark after Thursday’s listening to.
The courtroom was anticipated to determine on the pair’s custody settlement for his or her son, Ever. Minas mentioned he wanted extra time to suppose and needed to attend for a Division of Youngster and Household Providers evaluation.
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The story behind the NBC Information story on Taylor Frankie Paul
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Swinyard mentioned, “Finally with at the moment’s consequence it’s what we have been anticipating on the protecting order entrance.”
Minas mentioned that he’ll make a written advice about dad or mum time schedules by Might 11 and {that a} evaluate listening to will happen June 1.
No different “Mormon Wives” forged members have been within the courtroom, however each Paul’s and Mortensen’s households have been there to indicate assist.
After the orders have been granted, Paul was emotional as she mentioned goodbye to Mortensen’s household within the tiny, 28-seat courtroom and cried as she hugged his mom, who additionally shed tears.
Mortensen’s good friend and roommate, Cru Eaton, expressed frustration with the result, calling it “a joke and pathetic.”
Eaton got here to courtroom to assist his good friend of seven years and mentioned that it’s “fairly stunning the choose swayed that means” and that quite a lot of issues have been left unsaid in courtroom.
“Taylor wants assist, and I don’t belief her with Ever,” Eaton instructed NBC Information. “It’s virtually like an unattainable battle when she’s backed by ABC and Hulu.”
Representatives for Paul didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark concerning Eaton’s feedback.
Paul, who developed from a TikTok character right into a actuality TV star, was yanked from her upcoming season starring in ABC’s “The Bachelorette” after it was reported that she and Mortensen have been concerned in an ongoing home violence investigation.
The choice to shelve “The Bachelorette” was prompted by a TMZ video depicting Paul attacking Mortensen in entrance of her daughter in 2023.
Paul confronted costs within the incident in that video. She pleaded responsible in abeyance to 1 cost of aggravated assault in reference to the February 2023 costs, in keeping with a plea affidavit. 4 different costs in that case — together with assault, prison mischief and home violence within the presence of a kid — have been dismissed with prejudice.
In courtroom Thursday, Paul’s lawyer mentioned the general public leak of the 2023 video to TMZ days earlier than Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” was set to air. The identical day, Mortensen filed an amended request for a protecting order, he mentioned.
“I perceive he denies having accomplished this, however quite a lot of info lends itself to Dakota leaking this or, at the least at a really minimal, having his fingerprints throughout this,” Swinyard mentioned.
“He needs to actually destroy her,” Swinyard added.
Swinyard acknowledged Paul’s function within the video.
“My shopper has zero excuses for this. … It’s a tragedy that Dakota and my shopper’s daughter have been the victims of her actions,” he mentioned.
He famous that Paul entered a plea prematurely for assault on Mortensen and mentioned that on the time of the incident, she was struggling after two miscarriages however that she is on observe to finish her probation in August.
Brent Corridor, Mortensen’s lawyer, denied that his shopper leaked the video, including, “He instructed his publicist to not launch the video.”
Corridor mentioned Mortensen filed the protecting order “to interrupt the cycle” he and Paul have been in and to “defend his youngster, to cease the violence.”
Corridor forged doubt on Paul’s motivation for a protecting order, saying it’s “not designed to guard her son; it’s designed to guard her picture.”
On the finish of February, Mortensen reported home violence allegations towards Paul from occasions in 2024, 2025 and 2026 in each West Jordan and Draper, Utah. Paul additionally reported allegations towards Mortensen in relation to the 2026 incident out of Draper, spokespeople from each police departments confirmed to NBC Information.
In April, the Salt Lake County District Legal professional’s workplace mentioned it might not pursue costs towards Paul in reference to any of the reported instances, citing statute-of-limitations points and lack of proof. Days later, the town of Draper mentioned Mortensen wouldn’t be charged.
The current back-and-forth has additionally had penalties for Mortensen, who was edited out of the brand new season of the present “Vanderpump Villa.”
Forged members of “Mormon Wives” expressed concern over their co-star’s conduct in a March assembly with ABC executives, a recording of which was shared with NBC Information. The assembly got here after information of the prison investigations emerged and was not associated to the protecting order listening to Thursday.
Within the assembly, the forged selected to pause filming — a unanimous resolution, the audio recording confirmed — till authorized motion performed out in Paul’s instances. The present determined to select cameras again up on April 21, a supply with data of the choice instructed NBC Information.
It’s not clear whether or not Paul and Mortensen will probably be included within the Hulu actuality sequence going ahead, however the brand new protecting order signifies that they can’t be in the identical place on the identical time.
Rebecca Cohen reported from Salt Lake Metropolis and Marlene Lenthang from Los Angeles.
