“Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” personality Dakota Mortenson has reportedly been granted custody of the 2-year-old son he shares with his embattled ex-girlfriend Taylor Frankie Paul.
The ruling follows a March 19 order of protection filed by Mortenson against Paul, according to People. Utah authorities are reportedly involved in an ongoing “domestic assault investigation” involving the on-again, off-again couple and their son Ever.
Paul was poised to have been the centerpiece of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” when the show’s new season began Sunday night.
The reality TV program announced Thursday that its upcoming season will be canceled after TMZ posted video from 2023 appearing to show Paul becoming physically violent toward Mortenson while her 8-year-old daughter was present.
“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,” said a spokesperson for Disney Entertainment Television, which oversees ABC.
Paul will reportedly have an opportunity to plead her case to a judge on April 7 should she seek a new custody arrangement.
An indictment obtained by People alleged that Paul threw “heavy, metal chairs” at Mortensen during the 2023 caught-on-video spat. Her daughter is said to have been struck by one of those chairs.
People said Paul pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault, which will allow the charges against her to be dropped if she complies with the terms of her plea agreement.
With the cancelation, the men have “no visibility” and no shot at the title role, said Levin, who knows of “a lot of screaming already” and “a lot of finger-pointing” between ABC and producer WB Discovery.
Sources previously told Us Weekly that ABC could lose anywhere from $40 million to $50 million for canceling the season.
“There are going to be contestants suing,” predicted Geragos. “They’re gonna sue everybody and it’s going to be a wide swath of targets.”
Levin explained those contestants would likely say they suffered losses due to ABC being “negligent or reckless” in “not doing … due diligence” with casting Paul.
Geragos added that any prior knowledge ABC had about Paul’s legal issues could “cross the line into punitive damages. … If that’s the case, that’s a monstrous, monstrous lawsuit.”
The network canceled the show Thursday, in the wake of newly released video from the 31-year-old #MomTok influencer’s 2023 domestic violence dispute with ex Dakota Mortensen.
The disturbing video showed Paul putting Mortensen, now 33, in a headlock and hurling metal barstools his way, one of which hit her then-5-year-old daughter, Indy.
