A Utah judge criticized the “toxicity” of their power relationship when he issued a mutual protection order against Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen.
“This is a very toxic relationship,” Commissioner Russell Minas said during a hearing between the real estate TV personalities on Thursday, Us Weekly reported. “In many ways, its toxicity is insane.”
The judge noted that the former couple needed to unite as co-parents of their son Ever, 2.
“From what I can see from the evidence after the last hearing, it appears they continue to be attracted to each other,” he noted. “You all have to figure out a lot here. You have to find a way to function as co-parents.”
He also labeled the dynamic as “dysfunctional” amid an ongoing custody battle between the former couple, with Mortensen, 33, currently maintaining physical custody and Paul, 31, allowing supervised visitation.
“I intend to leave the current order in place,” the judge said, according to the newspaper. “I need to think a little more about the release of the coach. I have mixed feelings.”
The judge expressed hope that Mortensen and Paul are not “people who survive only on drama and conflict,” noting that they need to “put the child first and protect the child from this conflict.”
He reminded the “Mormon Wives” star and her ex-lover that they “will be connected for the rest of their lives” through their son. “You’re modeling to a 2-year-old how to handle conflict,” he said.
The ruling ordered the two to stay 100 feet from each other and granted a protective order that both had previously sought.
The judge said he felt Paul’s “conduct” was “more reactive” but said he believed “there was violence in both directions between the parties.”
“Dakota knew what to do, to get under her skin, so to speak, and she responded,” the judge said of a dynamic in which the seemingly placid Mortensen at one point recorded his ex-boyfriend during a volatile exchange in 2023.
The judge explained, “I think (Mortensen) is just more thoughtful,” and described Mortensen’s conduct as “subtle.”
The judge deferred ruling on Paul’s current supervision during visitation with her son, saying she was “wary that Dakota might actually try to use that to manipulate and control her.”
The reality star, who also shares eight-year-old daughter Indi and five-year-old son Ocean with ex-husband Tate Paul, temporarily lost custody of baby Ever earlier this month following allegations of mutual abuse.
Mortensen did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment about Thursday’s hearing.
“Today’s hearing was an important step forward as the court issued an order of protection requiring Taylor’s ex-partner to stay away from her,” a representative for Paul told Page Six.
“Taylor has been incredibly candid in court that he is not perfect and that he is at fault, in stark contrast to the way his opponents have argued, despite evidence and opinions from law enforcement to the contrary.”
“Taylor feels solidarity with the many survivors who have endured similar hardships behind closed doors and shared only part of their stories, and remains grateful for the outpouring of support he continues to receive,” the statement continued.
“She looks forward to continuing to cooperate with the court and move forward with her custody case,” the statement concluded.
Their court appearance was the pair’s first public appearance together since the legal drama began in March, when news broke that the pair were facing multiple domestic violence investigations after an alleged physical altercation.
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office declined to file new charges against Paul in early April, citing “evidential issues” in the investigation by Draper and West Jordan police, according to a press release.
They also cited the fact that some of the cases filed were “barred by statute of limitations” because they “occurred more than three years ago.”
The statement said the charges against Paul “do not rise to the level of a criminal offense.”
Amid the allegations, TMZ released a video of Paul and Mortensen’s 2023 encounter in March, which showed Paul throwing a barstool while his daughter Indi sat on a nearby couch.
She was arrested for the alleged encounter in 2023 and pleaded guilty pending to aggravated assault.
ABC canceled Paul’s upcoming season of “The Bachelorette” following the tape’s release.
Mortensen applied for a restraining order against Paul, provided photos of injuries allegedly sustained during the incident, and was granted temporary custody of Ever until today’s hearing. Paul was allowed supervised visits with Ever.
Then, on March 25, news broke that a third domestic violence investigation was underway by West Jordan police, in addition to two ongoing investigations by Draper police.
Earlier this month, Paul filed for a restraining order against Mortensen, accusing him of traumatizing her by stalking her, slamming her head into the dashboard of his truck and sending her photos with his initials tattooed on the inside of her lips.
Prior to sentencing at Thursday’s hearing, Mortensen’s attorney argued that Mortensen was “afraid of violence that would occur against him” and called him a “victim of domestic violence.”
But Paul’s lawyer claimed Mortensen “literally wants to destroy” the reality star.
“He was subjecting her and her family to new suffering,” Paul’s lawyer told the court. “Yes, it does have something to do with your career. It comes with a lot of embarrassment.”
