What Happens Next in the Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen Investigation

Here is where the Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen situation lands now: the February domestic incident the two were involved in has officially been kicked up from Draper Police to the Salt Lake County district attorney. That means real charging decisions are next. And yes, this all ties into a paused Hulu show, an old video, a fresh report in a different city, and even ABC scrapping a season of The Bachelorette. Let’s untangle it. Where the case stands todayAfter Draper Police wrapped their investigation, the city prosecutor did a second pass, ran more interviews, and then sent the whole thing to the county DA for screening on Thursday, March 26. "The district attorney's office will determine if any charges will be filed." If the DA declines, the city prosecutor says they will look at what else they can do based on that decision. Once a call is made on charges, Draper City plans to release all the public info from the police investigation. A rep for Taylor has been contacted for comment.How we got here (the short version)February 25–26: Police respond to an alleged domestic dispute between Taylor (31) and Dakota (33) in Draper. Authorities later describe an open domestic assault investigation with allegations coming from both sides and confirm they spoke with the people involved. March 16: News of the February dispute goes wide. Production on season 5 of Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives pauses. Both Taylor and Dakota have been on the show since season 1 alongside Jen Affleck, Miranda McWhorter, Mayci Neeley, and Mikayla Matthews. As that plays out, an older video from a 2023 incident between Taylor and Dakota resurfaces. In that case, Taylor was arrested and later pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault as part of a deal that dismissed the remaining charges. The video shows Taylor throwing chairs at Dakota while her daughter cries in the background. March 19: After the 2023 video starts circulating again, ABC cancels season 22 of The Bachelorette. Strange ripple effect, but that is what happened. Following that cancellation, Taylor’s team thanks ABC for backing her and her three kids as she prioritizes their safety. Her rep says she has dealt with years of alleged mental and physical abuse and threats of retaliation, and that she is now ready to confront her accuser, explore her options, get support, and tell her story. For context: Taylor shares daughter Indy (8) and son Ocean (5) with ex-husband Tate Paul, and son Ever (2) with Dakota. Dakota responds that the 2023 video speaks for itself, calls the situation upsetting, denies what he says are baseless claims about him and the relationship, and says he is focused on their son’s safety. He requests a temporary restraining order and temporary custody of Ever. On Friday, March 20, both are granted. Also in February (different city): Dakota reports a third alleged domestic incident to the West Jordan Police Department. He says Draper PD pointed him there because it allegedly happened in West Jordan. NBC News reports the incident took place in 2024. That West Jordan claim matters because Taylor’s 2023 case is on a plea-in-abeyance status (basically probation). Salt Lake County DA Sim Gill says his office is aware of the West Jordan allegations and will review anything that could be a violation if and when it is submitted to them (statement issued Wednesday, March 25). March 26: Draper confirms the February case has been formally sent to the county DA for charging review. If charges are filed, we’ll get the specifics. If not, the city prosecutor will decide the next steps on their end. What to watch for nextThe immediate piece is the DA’s screening on the February Draper case. After that, keep an eye on whether the West Jordan police forward their case for review, because that could hit Taylor’s probation. On the TV side, season 5 of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives remains paused, and ABC already pulled The Bachelorette season 22 after the 2023 video reappeared. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.

What Happens Next in the Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen Investigation

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