Taylor Frankie Paul Arrest Record: Charges, Plea, and Custody

Taylor Frankie Paul’s arrest record consists of a single arrest, on February 17, 2023, in connection with a domestic violence incident involving her then-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen in the Draper, Utah, area. Salt Lake County prosecutors filed five charges, including three felonies. She later resolved the case through a plea in abeyance to one count of aggravated assault. Two subsequent police investigations, opened in 2024 and 2026, did not produce additional charges.

The February 2023 Arrest

Herriman City Police responded on the night of February 17, 2023, to a domestic violence call at Paul’s residence. According to the police report, Paul threw metal barstools and a wooden playset at Mortensen during the fight. Mortensen recorded portions of the altercation on his cellphone, and officers determined Paul was the “primary aggressor.”¹

Officers documented redness and swelling around Mortensen’s eyes, swelling on his elbow, scratches on his fingers, and a laceration on his neck. Paul’s then-5-year-old daughter, Indy, was present and was struck in the head by one of the thrown chairs, sustaining what officers described as a “goose egg.” The child can be heard crying in the video.¹ In a follow-up call with police the next day, Mortensen said he had deflected a barstool that then struck the child on the couch, and that Paul continued attacking him when he tried to check on her daughter.²

Paul was arrested at the scene. On February 24, Herriman police returned to collect the metal barstool as evidence. Prosecutors later identified it as a “weapon” used during the fight.²

The Charges Filed

On February 28, 2023, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office filed five charges against Paul in the Third Judicial District Court:

Aggravated assault, a third-degree felony
Domestic violence in the presence of a child, a third-degree felony
Domestic violence in the presence of a child, a third-degree felony
Child abuse, a class A misdemeanor
Criminal mischief, a class B misdemeanor

Three of the five counts were felonies.³

The Plea in Abeyance

On August 25, 2023, Paul entered a plea in abeyance to the single count of aggravated assault. The other four charges were dismissed with prejudice.⁴

Under Utah’s plea-in-abeyance structure, the court holds the guilty plea without entering a conviction while the defendant completes conditions. In Paul’s case, the plea is held for three years. If she meets every condition, the felony is reduced to a class A misdemeanor at the end of that period. Her conditions included substance abuse and domestic violence evaluations, any treatment those evaluations recommended, and avoiding major legal violations.⁵

A February 2025 probation audit found that Paul had “completed all treatment and classes” required under the agreement and continued to see a therapist.⁶ A final review hearing is scheduled for August 7, 2026. If the terms have been met, the felony will be reduced to a misdemeanor at that point.⁷

The 2024 and 2026 Investigations

In February 2026, new domestic violence allegations surfaced involving Paul and Mortensen. On February 23, a friend of Mortensen called 911 after noticing scratch marks on his neck and reported that Paul had assaulted him at her Draper residence.⁸ Draper City Police opened an investigation on February 24 and 25. Officers documented allegations from both parties of “grabbing, scratching, shoving and striking,” along with scratches on Mortensen’s face and neck, a large bruise on his leg, and a bloody nose, and bruises on Paul’s forehead, back, and elbow.⁹

Separately, the West Jordan Police Department opened an investigation into a third alleged incident, reportedly from early-to-mid 2024, after Mortensen reported it in March 2026.¹⁰

On April 14, 2026, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office sent both departments a declination letter saying it would not file charges against Paul. The office cited three reasons: some reported incidents fell outside the misdemeanor statute of limitations, others “do not rise to the level of criminal offenses,” and the remaining allegations “lack sufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges where the State must be able to prove such allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.”¹¹ No charges were filed against Mortensen either.⁹

The stakes of that decision were higher than a typical declination. District Attorney Sim Gill noted that any new domestic violence charges could have been “enhanced” because of Paul’s existing plea in abeyance, which would have triggered a violation and reinstated the original 2023 felony.¹² Because the office declined to charge, that enhancement never came into play.

Protective Orders and Custody

Although no criminal case followed the 2026 investigations, the same facts drove parallel civil proceedings. Mortensen filed for a protective order on March 20, 2026, and received temporary custody of the couple’s 2-year-old son, Ever. Paul filed her own request on April 7.¹³

On April 30, 2026, a Utah district court judge granted mutual three-year civil protective orders requiring both parties to stay at least 100 feet apart, with a warning that violations could lead to arrest and criminal charges.¹⁴¹³¹⁵¹⁶

Career Fallout

Paul’s arrest record and the renewed investigations also reshaped her television work. ABC had announced her in September 2025 as the lead of Season 22 of The Bachelorette. On March 19, 2026, three days before the scheduled premiere, TMZ published Mortensen’s cellphone video from the February 2023 fight. Disney sources said they had not seen the footage until TMZ posted it.¹⁷ That day, ABC shelved the season. A Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said: “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.”¹⁸

Hulu paused production on Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives after the 2026 allegations surfaced; cast members told production they would not keep filming unless the network “took action.”¹⁹ When filming resumed, both Paul and Mortensen were excluded.²⁰ Paul reportedly decided on her own not to return.²¹

1
Los Angeles Times. Taylor Frankie Paul Domestic Violence Investigations Timeline
2
Page Six. Bodycam Footage Shows Aftermath of Taylor Frankie Paul’s 2023 Arrest
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ABC4. Utah Influencer Taylor Frankie Paul Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Assault
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Salt Lake Tribune. Mormon Mom TikTok Star Taylor Frankie Paul Pleads Guilty
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E! Online. Taylor Frankie Paul Timeline of Allegations
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Yahoo Entertainment. Taylor Frankie Paul Probation Conditions
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ABC4. Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul Domestic Violence
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People. 911 Caller for Taylor Frankie Paul Recent DV Case Said There Were Injuries
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ABC4. Bodycam Photos Taylor Frankie Paul Mortensen Investigation
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The Hollywood Reporter. Bachelorette Taylor Frankie Paul Third Domestic Incident
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USA Today. Taylor Frankie Paul Dakota Mortensen Charges Domestic Violence Investigation
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NBC News. Taylor Frankie Paul Investigation in Connection With Third Domestic Allegation
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Today. Taylor Frankie Paul Dakota Mortensen Granted Mutual Protective Orders
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Los Angeles Times. Taylor Frankie Paul Dakota Mortensen Protective Order Child Custody
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Court TV. Reality Star Taylor Frankie Paul Scores Win in Custody Case
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TMZ. Taylor Frankie Paul Unsupervised Visits Approved
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Variety. Taylor Frankie Paul Bachelorette Casting Scandals
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Good Morning America. ABC Shelves Taylor Frankie Paul’s Bachelorette Season
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NBC News. Taylor Frankie Paul Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Filming Paused
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Cosmopolitan. Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Resumes Production Without Taylor Frankie Paul
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KUTV. Taylor Frankie Paul Not Returning to Secret Lives of Mormon Wives