Taylor Frankie Paul’s mother Leanne May claimed to police that her granddaughter Indi was not injured after a 2023 domestic violence incident between her mother and Dakota Mortensen.
Following Paul’s arrest, Leanne and her husband, Jeremy May, who was 5 years old at the time, were released after receiving a call from Herriman Police Department officers around 3 a.m.
“Please, could you please check her head or face for goosebumps or scratches or anything like that?” a source asked LeAnn in a video of the call obtained by TMZ.
“There were several other facts about this incident that came to light after the fact,” the police officer explained. “During the altercation, (Indy) appears to have been hit in the head with a metal chair.”
Officers indicated the young child may have suffered a concussion from the incident, which occurred on February 17, 2023.
“I think she’s fine,” Leanne replied. “I saw her.”
After checking on Indy again, Leanne assured the officer, “There’s nothing wrong with her. She’s not grumbling or anything.”
The officer told Lien that he made the call after the arrest because he didn’t realize the toddler might have been injured until he reviewed cell phone footage.
“Watch out (Indy),” the officer warned. “I’m worried about my injuries. I didn’t know this happened until it happened. If I hadn’t, I probably would have had the paramedics come and check on me. Just to be sure.”
“Injuries in children may not be as obvious as injuries in adults.”
Liang assured the police officer that he would be on the lookout for any injuries.
Leanne claimed her child was not injured, but Indy’s father, Tate Paul, claimed she suffered a minor head injury during an argument between Taylor and Mortensen.
In a recording of Tate’s conversation with police obtained by People, Tate described the wound as a “goose egg” but admitted that she could not photograph it because it was small and covered by Indy’s hair.
Elsewhere in the Feb. 24, 2023, call, Leanne accused Indy of “coaching” her to make Taylor look good during a domestic violence investigation.
“Grandma obviously has a conflict of interest with her because, you know, it’s her daughter who did this,” Tate said.
“I’ve noticed that she’s already tried gatekeeping. It’s not gatekeeping, but she’s coaching my daughter and saying specific things,” Tate claimed.
He also asked police to contact him, not Leanne, regarding the investigation.
Taylor and Tate were married from 2019 to 2022 and share two sons, Indi, 8, and Ocean, 5.
The fight between the “Secrets of a Mormon Wife” star and Mortensen happened three years ago, but it made headlines earlier this month when video of the shocking fight was leaked.
Disturbing footage shows an apparently intoxicated Taylor and her then-boyfriend getting into a fight inside her Utah home, during which Indy appears to be struck by a metal bar stool that Taylor throws at Mortensen.
Paul later pleaded guilty to one felony count of aggravated assault, which will be reduced to a misdemeanor once he completes his three-year probation.
Additional charges, including two felony counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child and one misdemeanor count each of child abuse and criminal mischief, were ultimately dismissed.
Meanwhile, ABC canceled Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette following the leaked video.
The Hulu star also temporarily lost custody of her 2-year-old son Ever, whom she shares with Mortensen.
Police are currently investigating two other incidents of domestic violence between Paul and Mortensen. One incident occurred in 2024 and the other occurred last month, which also caused filming of SLOMW to be halted.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
