Filming has reportedly been paused on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives as one of its biggest stars and her ex-boyfriend face an investigation into domestic assault.
Production of season five of the Hulu show is said to have been put on hiatus due to ‘serious’ issues involving star Taylor Frankie Paul.
‘They are not filming,’ a source told People. ‘Taylor [Frankie Paul] has some pretty serious stuff happening regarding her past, and they will see what happens. Until that resolves, they are off.’
The Draper City Police Department has since confirmed to the outlet the existence of an open ‘domestic assault investigation’ into Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.
‘Allegations have been made in both direction,’ a spokesman for the department told the publication, adding ‘contact was made with involved parties on [February] 24 and 25.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Paul, Mortensen, Hulu, ABC and the Draper City Police Department for comment and has yet to hear back.
Season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has reportedly been put on pause amid an open domestic assault investigation into Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen
A source has since told Variety that the filming hiatus is temporary, with production expected to resume soon.
The hiatus will likely not have a major impact on the season five release date.
The alleged incident also did not happen on camera.
Paul and Dakota have a toddler together, son Ever. Paul also has a daughter, Indy, and a son, Ocean, with ex-husband Tate.
The incident is not Paul’s first brush with the law.
In 2023, she was arrested for domestic violence after she allegedly threw chairs at Mortensen, accidentally hitting her five-year-old daughter, Indy, in the head.
Paul ultimately pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, and had the other four charges dismissed with prejudice as part of the deal.
She was required to undergo counseling, receive a substance abuse and domestic violence evaluation and not break any further laws.
In a subsequent TikTok, Paul reflected on everything that had happened but remained defiant.
‘I don’t owe anyone an explanation besides the people involved,’ she said. ‘Court is officially over til next year. They’ll just check in and see how I’m doing – if I’m still doing better.’
In 2023 Paul was arrested for domestic violence after she allegedly threw chairs at Mortensen, accidentally hitting her five-year-old daughter Indy in the head
‘As much as I wish that night had [gone] differently, I felt like hitting rock bottom actually helped me in some ways. Made me seek help that I wasn’t getting,’ she added.
Police bodycam footage from the night of the arrest that was obtained by the Daily Mail revealed Paul had allegedly flown into a rage after Mortensen refused to take her to a concert because she was too drunk.
And when police arrived at the scene in a Salt Lake City suburb, the influencer told them she was so scared she had ‘peed’ herself, the video shows.
Paul was arrested at her home in Herriman, Utah, on misdemeanor charges.
But after Mortensen provided cops with video from his cell phone showing the chair hitting Indy, the charges were upgraded to felony aggravated assault, reckless child abuse and domestic violence in the presence of a child.
Paul rose to fame after becoming embroiled in a ‘soft-swinging’ scandal, which ultimately led to the creation of her Hulu show
The fourth season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was recently released
Unclear how the controversy will impact the new season of The Bachelorette, which stars Paul
Two weeks later, the Salt Lake County District Attorney charged Paul with two counts of 3rd degree felony domestic violence in the presence of a child with injury, a Class A misdemeanor of child abuse with injury, and a Class B misdemeanor of criminal mischief.
If she had been convicted on all charges, she could have faced up to five years in state prison for each of the three felonies.
Paul was part of a group of Utah couples who indulged in ‘soft swinging’ – a practice where partners are swapped but only with the understanding that they do not have full sex.
But she caused a sensation when she admitted that she had broken the cardinal rule and ended up losing her husband, Tate, who divorced her, and most of her friends.
It is unclear whether the new investigation will affect the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, which stars Paul. However, Variety reported that the show’s release schedule and press tour will not be impacted.
Read the full article here
