Dakota Mortensen’s domestic violence scandal involving ex Taylor Frankie Paul isn’t derailing his reality TV career — because he’s starring in Alex Cooper’s new reality series alongside “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” alum Demi Engemann.
Cooper’s Unwell Network announced Monday that their new four-episode series, “Unwell Winter Games,” is premiering next week on YouTube.
The show features 16 contestants who will compete in multiple mental and physical challenges over the course of four days in a luxury chalet in Park City, Utah.
Two of the contestants are Mortensen and Engemann, and more cast members include “Love Island” alum Huda Mustafa and infamous “fake heiress” Anna Delvey, who was convicted of scamming Manhattan’s elite in 2022.
Mortensen’s involvement in the the show is controversial given that Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette” was swiftly canceled after TMZ published video of a 2023 altercation involving the exes.
In the disturbing video, Paul is seen hurling metal chairs at Mortensen, while her 8-year-old daughter, Indy — who was 5 years old at the time — is heard nearby crying.
Mortensen is also being investigated for a February domestic violence incident involving Paul — with allegations made “on both sides.”
Fans took to social media to call out what some saw as a double standard between how Paul is being treated in comparison to Mortensen.
“oh so taylor frankie paul’s bachelorette season gets cancelled but dakota gets to be on a tv show LMAOOOOOOO,” one X comment reads.
“They should cancel it since they cancelled The Bachelorette…..,” another comment reads.
One user wrote, “I do not want to see Dakota anywhere. He’s an abusive partner who will hold videos of a child being harmed to use against the mother of his child when it’s useful to him. He’s fowl [sic] and shouldn’t be rewarded.”
Meanwhile, there’s no love lost between Paul and Engemann. Engemann abruptly dropped out of season 4 of “SLOMW” amid drama with the cast, notably Jessi Draper.
Engemann also seemingly took a swipe at Paul after her season of “The Bachelorette” was canceled, posting an Instagram Story reading, “The bills are paid. My husband is hot. Our marriage is strong. The kids are happy & healthy. I feel so damn rich.”
“My version of peace that no one could ever destroy no matter how hard some have tried,” she added alongside two emojis. “The best revenge truly is living well. I’ll die on that hill forever.”
She later deleted the post, and a source told Page Six that Engemann’s post was actually in relation to what she shared on the “Disgraceful” podcast that was released a day prior, and not a dig at Paul.
Cooper’s decision to feature Mortensen and Engemann is also interesting given that she’s given both Paul and Draper a big platform in the past by interviewing them on “Call Her Daddy.”
Paul announced her season of “The Bachelorette” on Cooper’s podcast in September 2025, and spoke about Mortensen candidly during the episode.
Draper appeared on “Call Her Daddy” just last week, and bashed Mortensen. Draper speculated that Mortensen “for sure” leaked the cell phone footage of his and Paul’s 2023 fight that led to her season of “The Bachelorette” getting canceled.
Draper quipped of Paul, “She’s not just running to TMZ and leaking stories. I think that’s the right way to go about it.”
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