Taylor Frankie Paul has reacted to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office announcing they are not filing charges against her following two separate investigations into domestic violence allegations.
“Here come the ugly parts of what healing actually looks like,” she began a lengthy post Sunday on Instagram. “If you know me you know I’ll admit my parts, flaws, and faults. I’m well aware thats apart of it. We’ll get there. This public atrocity that I not only lived through once but twice now, on even a bigger scale was ultimately the cost to my freedom. I wouldn’t wish this upon my worst enemy or even the ones who publicized it. I cried on my knees in pain while also saying THANK YOU 🙏🏼”
Paul then acknowledged that she’s still feeling the emotional effects of all that’s transpired and shared some symbolism she saw in the timing of learning the charges were dropped.
“We have a road ahead but regardless I’m forever freed from a certain living hell I couldn’t find my way out of,” she continued. “Metaphorically someone witnessed me bleeding out and poured salt all over me… somehow I’m still here.. as we can see barely because I believe God held me through and sent help plus an army which makes me cry because, thank you to all of you that supported even without full context 🙏🏼 God undoubtedly had a hand in this because after waiting 7 weeks on the 7th day EXACTLY I received the call all charges dropped. Those are his numbers symbolic for his plans which I’m nervous to see what’s in store … steps moving forward are the very basics. We’re working on eating, movement, rest, and retraining the nervous system. I’ll be sharing the process, because if my worst is shared better bet I’ll share the rebuilding too.”
The post included three selfies of Paul, in which she’s hiding her face with her phone.
In another post on her Instagram Stories on Sunday, Paul wrote, “I diagnosed with PTSD about two years ago which I assume is now cptsd [complex post-traumatic stress disorder]…by more than one therapist for all those that assumed diagnoses.”
In March, it was reported that The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives paused filming following an alleged February domestic incident between Paul and her ex Dakota Mortensen that was being investigated by the Draper City Police Department. On March 25, it was later revealed that Paul was under investigation for an alleged third domestic violence incident involving her and Mortensen in 2024, which was being led by the West Jordan Police Department. (Prior, Paul was arrested in 2023 for another incident with Mortensen, with the fallout being documented on season one of Mormon Wives.)
Salt Lake City’s ABC 4 confirmed April 14 that the DA will not be filing charges against Paul for either of those alleged incidents. The outlet noted that because incidents occurred over three years ago, the statute of limitations has expired for those events, per the DA.
The events that occurred within the statute of limitations reportedly “lack sufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges where the state must be able to prove such allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“Such incidents lack specificity as to when and what actually occurred or corroboration,” the Salt Lake City DA’s report notes, per ABC 4. “Based on the evidence submitted for screening by the Draper Police Department and West Jordan Police Department, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office declines to file any charges.”
After the investigation tied to the alleged February incident was made public, a video of the events leading to Paul’s 2023 arrest was leaked to TMZ on March 19. The video showed Paul throwing barstools at Mortensen while her daughter present; a few hours later, ABC pulled Paul’s Bachelorette season, which was set to air on March 22.
After the network revealed the decision, a rep for Paul released a statement thanking ABC for their support.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” a spokesperson for Paul said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”
On April 7, Paul and Mortensen appeared in court over an existing order of protection he had filed against the Mormon Wives star. An hour before their appearance, Paul filed a temporary restraining order against Mortensen, which she was granted.
In Paul’s filing, which was obtained by THR, she alleges that Mortensen has a “pattern of abusive conduct and coercive control.” She recounted several alleged incidents in the filing, and alleged that as the premiere for her season of The Bachelorette grew closer, “Dakota became increasingly possessive.”
During an incident on Feb. 23, which was under investigation, Paul alleged that Mortensen came to her home where her three children were asleep to talk about their relationship, a day after they got into a verbal altercation about the same topic, and they entered his vehicle to talk, and he drove away without her consent.
In the filing, Paul claims she “pleaded with him to make me home, but he continued driving away,” and they began to argue, and then Mortensen “became physically violent.”
“The parties argued and Dakota assaulted Taylor by slamming her head against the dashboard of his truck and striking her knee and elbow,” the filing alleges, which also included photos of Paul’s bruises and screenshots of text messages between the two.
On March 20, NBC News reported on a Zoom call the Mormon Wives cast had with Disney execs, where they voiced concerns about continuing to film with Paul. A source close to the situation told THR that the cast call with Disney execs was held so the executives could inform the women that the show was going on pause amid their own investigation. The women were informed that filming for season five was to be paused until production’s investigation, which is separate from the law enforcement investigation, concludes.
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