Taylor Frankie Paul’s ex-husband Tate Paul has told police he suspects his mother was “coaching” their daughter Indi after the reality star was arrested in 2023 on domestic violence charges.
“My grandmother, you know, obviously has a conflict of interest, because it was her daughter who did this,” Tate said of Taylor’s mother, Leanne May, in a Feb. 24, 2023, call with police, according to an audio recording obtained by People Thursday.
“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.
Elsewhere in the call, Taylor’s ex-husband claimed that Indy suffered a minor head injury during a fight with Taylor and then-girlfriend Dakota Mortensen on the night of February 17, 2023.
Ms Tate described the wound as a “goose egg” but admitted that she was unable to photograph the welt because it was small and covered by Indy’s hair.
He also asked police to contact him rather than Taylor’s mother regarding the investigation.
However, sharing a cryptic post on Instagram on Tuesday, the embattled “Mormon Wives” mother reportedly told police that Indy was not injured during the domestic violence incident between Taylor and Mortensen.
According to police body camera footage obtained by TMZ on Friday, Herriman Police Department officers called Leanne just after 3:15 a.m. on February 18 to check on her, after learning that Leanne, then 3, may have been struck by a metal stool during a fight.
Leanne told officers Taylor and Tate’s then-3-year-old daughter was asleep but “seemed fine” and did not appear to be injured.
Representatives for Taylor did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Taylor and Tate, 31, tied the knot in November 2016 and have two sons, Indy, 8, and Ocean, 5, before separating in 2022.
The fight between the Hulu star and Mortensen, 33, happened three years ago, but it made headlines again earlier this month when TMZ released video of the shocking fight online.
It shows Taylor, who appeared to be intoxicated, and her then-boyfriend getting into a fight inside a home in Utah, during an incident on February 17, 2023, in which a metal bar stool Taylor threw at Mortensen appeared to hit Indy.
Page Six previously obtained arrest footage from the night of Taylor’s arrest.
She later pleaded guilty to one felony count of aggravated assault, which will be reduced to a misdemeanor once her three-year probation ends.
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 “Mormon Housewives” star also lost temporary custody of her 2-year-old son Ever, whom she shares with Mortensen.
On Wednesday, it was revealed that Utah State Police are investigating separate domestic violence charges involving Taylor and Mortensen.
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.
