The Mormon Wives Cast Responds To Taylor & Dakota's Leaked 2023 Video
Here’s what they said.
Rumors about Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen’s rocky relationship have been dominating the headlines since March 15. At the time, TMZ reported that filming for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5 had been put on hold after a heated argument between the exes (who share one son, Ever). Since the initial report, allegations about a domestic dispute have been reported.
On March 16, a spokesperson for the local police department told People that there was an open "domestic assault investigation" concerning Paul and Mortensen, involving allegations from both parties. Per the police spokesperson, the alleged incident occurred on Feb. 24 and 25.
The following day, on March 17, Mortensen filed a restraining order against Paul — claiming that she choked and hit him — and requested sole custody of their son. At the time, Paul told Us Weekly, “There’s more to the context to everything and it’s unfortunate.”
Then, on March 19, a video from Paul and Mortensen’s 2023 domestic violence incident (to which she pled guilty to felony aggravated assault) was leaked to TMZ, prompting ABC to cancel her season of The Bachelorette. “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,” the statement read, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Following the video’s release, Paul's rep told Entertainment Weekly in a March 19 statement:
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. Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son's birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences.
Now, Paul’s fellow Mormon Wives cast members are speaking out on the situation.
Miranda McWhorter
On March 20, McWhorter responded to the situation in an Instagram statement. “I’ve honestly been a little at a loss for words trying to process this all. Everything has been really heavy to see,” she wrote. “As a human, and especially a mother, I cannot support that kind of behavior.”
“My heart is with the children in this and I hope they’re safe, supported, and surrounded by love,” she added.
Layla Taylor
Layla Taylor also posted a statement to her stories about the leaked video on March 20. “My personal history as a survivor makes it impossible for me to stay silent,” she wrote. “I stand firmly against domestic violence in any form. I am keeping her children in my thoughts, hoping for their safety above all else.”
