‘Mormon Wives’ star Taylor Frankie Paul and ex-partner ordered to stay 100 feet apart

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Taylor Frankie Paul, a world TV prima from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” and the begetter of her 2-year-old lad were ordered Thursday to enactment 100 feet (30 meters) distant from each different for the adjacent 3 years arsenic a Utah tribunal commissioner continues to measure custody plans for the child.

Paul has been incapable to walk unsupervised clip with her lad since an April 7 hearing, erstwhile Third District Court Commissioner Russell Minas said Paul had a past of volatile behaviour directed astatine her erstwhile partner, Dakota Mortensen, portion kids were present.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This communicative includes treatment of home violence. If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize needs help, delight telephone the nationalist home unit hotline: 1-800-799-7233 successful the U.S.

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Minas connected Thursday described the pair's dynamic arsenic “very toxic” earlier granting Paul and Mortensen's dueling requests for protective orders against each other. He recovered that “there’s been unit that occurred some ways betwixt these parties” and urged them to fig retired however to relation arsenic co-parents to their son, Ever.

“I'm hoping that you're not radical who conscionable thrive connected the play and the conflict,” Minas said. “You've got to enactment your kid archetypal and shield the kid from this conflict.”

Paul, Mortensen and their families were contiguous successful court, but nary different formed members from the Hulu world amusement attended.

Attorneys connection competing descriptions of fights

Attorneys for Paul and Mortensen offered competing versions of fights betwixt the pair, with each suggesting the different enactment was the aggressor.

Paul's lawyer Eric Swinyard told the tribunal commissioner that Mortensen is overmuch larger and stronger than Paul — and that erstwhile she was faced with carnal intimidation from Mortensen during an argument, she responded the aforesaid mode a batch of radical would.

“He said, ‘Hit me,’ and she did,” Swinyard said.

One combat betwixt the 2 came portion Paul was dealing with caller miscarriages, and she felt that Mortensen had been blowing her disconnected portion their lad was sick.

When Paul mislaid her footing and fell to the ground, Mortensen kicked her respective times successful the leg, Swinyard alleged. He submitted to the tribunal photos of her bruises.

Mortensen's lawyer Brent Salazar-Hall said his lawsuit was a unfortunate of maltreatment from Paul, but that she kept luring him backmost with substance messages inviting him implicit for intimacy.

During 1 argument, Paul and Mortensen were successful a motortruck and she tried to interfere with his driving by squeezing his face, Salazar-Hall said. In response, Mortensen shoved her away, helium said.

Paul's lawyers said Mortensen slammed her caput into the vehicle's dashboard, causing bruises.

Mortensen had Paul’s initials tattooed connected the wrong of his lip, which Paul’s lawyer pointed to arsenic an illustration of his possessive nature. Mortensen’s lawyer disagreed with that characterization and said galore of the men connected the TV amusement got articulator tattoos of their partners’ names successful a humorous country that has not yet aired.

“There seems to beryllium a continuing attraction that they person for each other, whether it’s physical, whether it’s the thrill betwixt the 2 of them of making themselves celebrities,” Minas said.

“The occupation is that the 2 of them can’t beryllium unneurotic successful the aforesaid spot astatine the aforesaid clip earlier it starts to crook violent,” helium added.

Violations of the protective orders could effect successful transgression charges.

Leaked video of combat is 1 constituent of contention

Eleven fights betwixt the exes were nether introspection successful their protective bid requests. A precocious leaked video of 1 combat from 2023 prompted ABC to marque the unprecedented determination past period of shelving an already-filmed play of “The Bachelorette” starring Paul. Hulu besides paused accumulation of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and resumed filming past week.

In the video, Paul appeared to punch, footwear and propulsion chairs astatine Mortensen portion her girl from different narration watched and cried.

Swinyard alleged that Mortensen leaked that video to the property to ruin Paul’s world TV vocation conscionable earlier her play of “The Bachelorette” was expected to air.

“Our constituent with the video is he’s not conscionable trying to travel aft her for custody. He’s not conscionable trying to question a protective order. He wants to virtually destruct her,” Swinyard said.

Salazar-Hall said Mortensen denies leaking the video.

Just aft the fight, Paul was charged with aggravated battle and different offenses, including home unit successful the beingness of a child. The constabulary assemblage camera footage of her apprehension was featured successful the archetypal play of the Hulu series.

Paul pleaded blameworthy to an battle charge, which volition beryllium reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor if she stays retired of ineligible occupation for a three-year probationary play that ends successful August. The different counts were dismissed.

Earlier this month, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office declined to record caller charges against Paul successful caller fights with Mortensen. Any caller charges would person violated Paul's probation from the 2023 assault.

Custody of their kid is astatine stake

Minas said helium would marque custody recommendations by May 11. Mortensen has custody successful the meantime.

Paul had bulk custody of their lad earlier the April 7 hearing.

A protective bid successful Utah tin restrict oregon destruct a parent’s quality to spot their child. When some parents person protective orders against each other, the tribunal relies heavy connected the recommendations of an lawyer appointed to analyse the child's champion interests.

Paul and Mortensen's lad had a court-appointed lawyer contiguous astatine Thursday’s proceeding to assistance the commissioner find the safest statement for the boy.

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Associated Press writer Rebecca Boone successful Boise, Idaho, contributed.

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