- Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen must stay 100 feet apart, after protective orders were granted for each of them.
- The commissioner is still considering adjusting the order to grant Paul, a Utah reality TV star, unsupervised parent time with their son.
SALT LAKE CITY — Her season of "The Bachelorette" was canceled, and "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" is continuing without her, but the details of Utah reality TV star Taylor Frankie Paul's life are still being aired publicly.
A civil request for a protective order brought Paul to the Matheson Courthouse Thursday, where she was ordered to stay at least 100 feet away from her former boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, and he was ordered to stay away from her. Unless it is altered, the mutual protective orders will disappear after three years, 3rd District Commissioner Russell Minas said.
He said the evidence in the case convinced him "the two of them can't be together in the same place at the same time for very long before it starts to turn violent."
Minas said he is "very concerned," as he told them they have a lot to learn as they figure out how to co-parent, reminding them that they are linked together for the rest of their lives. He said he wants to work with the parents to restore a sense of normalcy, but for now the protective orders are needed.
Minas described Paul's conduct as "reactive," while Mortensen's is "calculating."
"You've got to put your child first and shield the child from this conflict," the commissioner said.
Prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against Paul based on recent behaviors alleged in the protective order. A section of a police report read on Thursday said the city prosecutor found neither of their stories are credible.
Mortensen, who is the father of Paul's 2-year-old son, filed his request for the protective order on March 19, leading to a temporary protective order against Paul that was in effect until Thursday's hearing. Paul also filed a protective order against Mortensen on April 7.
The contradicting protective orders outline 11 different fights, and express concerns about the altercations occurring in front of children.
Paul's attorney, Eric Swinyard, said both parties were acting inappropriately during multiple incidents. He focused on an altercation on May 27, 2025, where he said Paul was attempting to push Mortensen out of her home while he was holding their son when she lost her footing and fell and Mortensen continued to kick her.
Swinyard claimed there are photos of "significant bruising" and said Mortensen did not deny the allegations when she asked for an apology and he refused.
Mortensen's attorney, Brent Salazar Hall, said the two were involved in a "cycle" of violence that his client had the courage to break. He argued Paul's domestic violence conviction based on a 2023 incident where she threw a barstool was sufficient evidence for his protective order on its own.
Swinyard said Paul has "zero excuses" for the incident, calling it a tragedy that "should not have happened." He said it was a difficult time in their relationship; Paul was dealing with personal issues, and alcohol was a major factor.
Paul's attorney alleged that Mortensen was behind a video of that incident being released to TMZ. That release led ABC to cancel the airing of her season of "The Bachelorette," which had already been filmed. He said it was leaked on the same day Mortensen's amended request for a protective order was filed and claims a witness said Mortensen had been speaking with his roommate about plans to embarrass her, including by leaking videos to the press.
"He's not just trying to come after her for custody, he's not just trying to seek a protective order — he wants to literally destroy her," Swinyard said. "This was a step too far and, we think, shows his true nature."
Hall argued that only Mortensen's protective order should be granted, and that the two should not be on equal footing.
"He believes she could be a great mom; she's a great mom when she's not emotional," Hall said.
Minas ordered during a hearing earlier this month that Paul should have up to eight hours of supervised parental time each week, and gave Mortensen temporary custody of the boy. He decided not to make any changes to that on Thursday, but is considering a request for Paul to have more time with their son and said he would issue a written ruling before May 11.
Swinyard said the orders separating her from her son for three weeks was "excruciating" for Paul, the child, and her other two children who are 8 and 5.
Minas said he is inclined to "take baby steps" to get back to their previous arrangement where Paul had 70% of the parent time, and Mortensen 30%. He said he is considering lifting the current requirement for Paul to only have supervised parent time with their 2-year-old son.
A review hearing was set for June 1.
