Taylor Frankie Paul avoids charges after altercation with former partner
Salt Lake County authorities announced on Tuesday that Taylor Frankie Paul will not face criminal charges for two February incidents involving her former partner, Dakota Mortensen. The district attorney’s Office reviewed the reports and found that the documented events either did not constitute criminal offenses or lacked sufficient evidence. Some alleged incidents dated more than three years ago and were outside the prosecution time frame.
Both Paul and Mortensen have filed protective order petitions against each other, and a hearing is set for April 30. The temporary order protecting Mortensen remains in effect; it could be extended after the upcoming review. The absence of criminal charges is not expected to alter the protective order status but may influence future court decisions regarding Paul’s supervised visitation rights with their 2‑year‑old son.
Paul’s legal team argued that Mortensen was the aggressor in at least one of the February altercations, describing it as a “truck tussle.” Conversely, Mortensen’s counsel contended that Paul used their child as a “human shield” during conflicts. Both sides have cited video evidence and physical injury photographs in their petitions.
The case stems from a broader pattern of disputes that previously led ABC to shelve a filmed season of “The Bachelorette” and prompted a pause in production of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”