Taylor Frankie Paul’s ex-husband, Tate Paul, sought guidance from the police on securing a protective order for their children following Taylor’s arrest for domestic violence in 2023.
According to audio and transcripts obtained by Us Weekly on Friday, March 27, Tate contacted Utah police to determine the legal measures in place to safeguard his children after Taylor was taken into custody.
In February 2023, Taylor faced accusations of assaulting her then-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, and throwing chairs, one of which allegedly hit her daughter, Indy. (Taylor and Tate are parents to daughter Indy May, 8, and son Ocean, 5, and separated in May 2022. The Mormon Wives star also has a son, Ever True, 2, with Dakota.)
During the call, Tate expressed confusion, stating, “That was one thing I didn’t understand. There’s a no contact order for [redacted]. Usually they do it for both children that are in the home, right?”
After the officer confirmed this was the usual procedure, Tate noted, “Okay, because I didn’t see a protective order against [redacted]. She’s been like, obviously trying to contact [redacted] as well, just given her mental state…”
The officer explained that a “jail release agreement” might be in effect, preventing the alleged offender from contacting potential victims for about a week. Furthermore, Tate could apply for a full protective order for his children as a long-term solution.
Taylor Frankie Paul. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images)
During the same conversation, Tate described his daughter’s injuries, claiming she had a bump on her head from the chair-throwing incident. He requested that the police contact him directly about the case, rather than going through Taylor’s mother, Liann May, whom he accused of “coaching” his daughter after the altercation.
Us Weekly has reached out to representatives of Taylor, Tate, and Liann for their comments.
In 2023, Taylor initially faced charges of misdemeanor assault, criminal mischief, and committing domestic violence in the presence of a child due to her altercation with Dakota. After agreeing to plead guilty to aggravated assault, the other charges were dropped.
The case resurfaced recently with the release of cellphone footage showing the 2023 domestic dispute, where Taylor is seen throwing chairs during an argument with Dakota. Her spokesperson later claimed the footage was selectively edited.
The stars of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen, have been trying to coparent their son Ever since their fall 2024 separation. They welcomed their first child together, the third for the MomTok content creator, in March 2024, shortly before splitting. As they work through the challenges of co-parenting, […]
“It’s sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child,” her spokesperson told TMZ on March 19. “Releasing an old and selectively edited video on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior.”
Dakota’s representative told Us, “As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation. I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same.”
Following the resurfacing of the footage, ABC canceled Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette just three days before it was set to premiere.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” her representative told Us at the time. “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”
