Inside Taylor Frankie Paul and Ex Dakota’s High-Stakes Custody Showdown

Reality TV is supposed to be messy on camera, not in court filings. But here we are: Taylor Frankie Paul (MomTok fixture, now ex–Bachelorette lead) and Dakota Mortensen (DadTok) are deep in a real-life custody and protective-order battle over their son, Ever — and it is bleeding into multiple shows.

Where things stand right now

Per a March 2026 source, Taylor and Dakota are not speaking — at all. Everything about custody and handoffs goes through family members. A judge granted Dakota temporary custody on March 20, 2026, along with a temporary protective order against Taylor. On April 7, the court gave Taylor supervised visits — eight hours per week — until a protective hearing set for April 30, when a judge will take another look at the restrictions.

The short version, in order

• Feb 2023: Video later surfaces of Taylor throwing chairs at Dakota during a domestic incident. She was arrested at the time and ultimately pled guilty to aggravated assault.
• 2022: Taylor divorces ex-husband Tate Paul; they share daughter Indy and son Ocean.
• Mar 2024: Taylor and Dakota welcome their first child together, Ever (her third).
• Fall 2024: The couple splits, then keeps dating on and off while trying to coparent.
• Jun 2025: Dakota files for custody and child support; Taylor counters. By Sept 2025, a proposed order is still pending.
• Fall 2025: Taylor says she ended it for good with Dakota before being cast as The Bachelorette season 22 lead. Hours before she flew to California to start filming, she says they hooked up again — something she later reveals on Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 4.
• May 2025 (court claim): A court-appointed guardian for Ever later tells the court that Taylor shoved Dakota while he was holding Ever. This is an allegation presented in court, not an adjudicated fact.
• Feb 2026 (Dakota’s claim): Dakota says an altercation at Taylor’s house ended with Taylor choking him and shoving him into a window. He says she was emotionally volatile and expressed self-harm, so he removed Ever from the home.
• Mar 17, 2026: Dakota files for a temporary restraining order and requests temporary sole custody. He also asks the court to bar Taylor from drinking or using drugs while watching her kids.
• Mar 2026: Salt Lake City police confirm they are investigating the alleged February 2026 incident. A source says Taylor and Dakota have no direct communication and handle custody through relatives. Another source says Dakota tried to be supportive and keep his distance after Taylor returned from Bachelorette filming.
• Mar 17, 2026: At a press day for The Bachelorette, Taylor denies any child abuse allegations and insists she is a good mother.
• Mar 20, 2026: A judge grants Dakota temporary custody and a temporary protective order against Taylor.
• Early April 2026: Ahead of the April 7 hearing, Taylor files for a temporary protective order against Dakota.
• Apr 7, 2026: In court, Taylor’s legal team alleges Dakota assaulted her in his truck in Feb 2026. Dakota’s side argues Taylor uses Ever as a "pawn," while Taylor’s side claims Dakota has used Ever as a "human shield" and says the child is safe with her. The judge sticks with Dakota’s temporary custody and gives Taylor eight supervised hours a week until the April 30 review.
• Meanwhile on TV: Taylor had already filmed The Bachelorette season 22 and told her suitors about her past relationships and life as a single mom. ABC later cancels her season entirely after the 2023 assault footage of her throwing chairs at Dakota surfaces publicly.

What the shows are doing

Secret Lives of Mormon Wives hit pause on filming amid the Taylor/Dakota dispute. Over on the dating-show side, ABC pulled the plug on The Bachelorette season 22 after that older (Feb 2023) incident video came out. If you’re wondering whether the guys on her season knew the broad strokes: Taylor says she was upfront with anyone who asked, especially the men who stuck around longer.

What Dakota is saying

"His number one priority here is protecting Ever."

That line came via Dakota’s rep in March 2026, who also said he didn’t want to be the one to push any of this into the public because he hoped for a functional coparenting relationship. The rep added that Dakota has mostly stayed quiet about his side, but given how serious this has gotten, silence wasn’t an option anymore.

What Taylor is saying

At that March 17, 2026 Bachelorette press event, Taylor pushed back on any suggestion she’s harmed her kids. In her words, she believes she’s a good mom who treats her children with respect and has never physically harmed them.

A note on her other coparenting lineup

With ex-husband Tate Paul, Taylor describes things as genuinely healthy — and has for a while. She’s called their setup cordial and easy, with a flexible schedule so the kids can go to events and trips without drama.

One complicated detail that’s easy to miss

A lot of the 2026 legal wrangling sits on top of earlier, still-pending 2025 custody filings and a court record that includes multiple allegations from both sides across different months. Translation: the judge is sorting through a long paper trail, not just one incident.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential help.