Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen are 'toxic', judge says
USA Today • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Utah judge granted mutual protective orders to "Bachelorette" star Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, citing their "dysfunctional" and violent co-parenting relationship.
- The judge described their relationship as toxic, with ongoing attraction mixed with violence, and emphasized the need for them to function as cooperative co-parents for their 2-year-old son.
- Both parties accused each other of domestic violence over their years-long on-and-off relationship, with Mortensen's actions deemed more deliberate and Paul's conduct described as reactive.
- Protective orders include a 100-foot stay-away rule for three years, while custody arrangements remain under review, with Mortensen currently holding temporary custody and Paul allowed limited supervised visitation.
- Paul's season of "The Bachelorette" was scrapped by ABC following a 2023 domestic violence incident, and she is currently working with a therapist while cooperating with ongoing custody proceedings.
