New details have emerged about Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-husband Tate Paul’s custody situation after domestic violence incidents resurfaced in 2023. In a video posted by TMZ on Thursday, the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star can be seen getting into a heated confrontation with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen. ABC canceled her season of “The Bachelorette” after the incident came to light.
Tate Paul takes action
Now, TMZ is citing sources as saying that Tate, who has two children with Paul, didn’t see the video until recently. He was reportedly “furious” and would have pressed child abuse charges if he had known about the video earlier.
After the incident in 2023, Tate has sought full custody through legal channels. Paul’s legal team agreed at the time to convert joint custody to full custody in his favor. Over the next few months, Paul completed an alcohol education program and other evaluations, eventually regaining approximately 50 percent custody.
Why didn’t you take the children away from home?
TMZ added that despite the severity of the incident, authorities did not remove the children from Paul’s care. Sources told the outlet that the Utah Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) was alerted due to mandatory police reporting requirements. However, the agency determined that the immediately dangerous removal threshold was not met.
A source familiar with the investigation said the child who was hit during the altercation was not the intended target but was hit after the object ricocheted.
There are still questions about event handling
The video, cited in the police report, shows a chaotic argument in which Paul threw a barstool that ended up hitting one of her children.
Authorities reportedly did not share the video with Tate at the time. Sources also claim that Paul initially denied that children had been beaten.
It’s unclear whether certain details, including the statement that Paul did not immediately comfort the injured child, played a role in DCFS’s final evaluation.
Ongoing investigations and new complaints
The case is far from closed. Dakota Mortensen has reportedly filed multiple child abuse complaints with DCFS, and the investigation is ongoing.
As part of the process, both Paul and Mortensen were required to undergo psychological evaluations.
Dakota Mortensen scores big win
Meanwhile, People reports that Dakota Mortensen has been granted temporary custody of her son, Ivor 2, citing a court order. According to the report, under the terms of the protection order, Mortensen will have “temporary custody” of Ivor. A hearing is scheduled for April 7, when Paul will be allowed to tell her side of the story to the court.
“No parent will be allowed time prior to the scheduled hearing,” the order reads.
