Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Images
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives are getting aired out. Dakota Mortensen, Taylor Frankie Paul’s ex-boyfriend and co-parent, has responded to news that Paul would not be charged with domestic assault. “Over the past several weeks, l’ve taken a step back and had time away from the chaos,” he said in a statement shared on Instagram. “That space has been a breath of fresh air and has given me clarity. My focus now is where it should have been all along — on my son and creating a stable, healthy environment for him moving forward. I regret not stepping away from a difficult cycle sooner.”
“I don’t agree with how this situation has been portrayed publicly,” he added. “It does not reflect the full context of what occurred or the impact it has had on me and my son … For now, my priority is on showing up as the best father I can be for Ever.”
Paul is also posting through it at the moment, detailing her mental-health struggles. “I was diagnosed with PTSD about two years ago which I assume is now cptsd … by more than one therapist for all those that assumed diagnoses,” she said on her Instagram Story, referring to complex post-traumatic stress disorder. Despite her diagnosis and the public drama around her relationship, she says she is trying to heal. “Here come the ugly parts of what healing actually looks like,” she wrote. “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.”
Paul first pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of Mortensen in 2023, and the case was mentioned on SLOMW. Then, this March, police confirmed that new “allegations have been made in both directions,” and a 2023 video of Paul, taken by Mortensen, throwing chairs with her child in the room was spread across the internet widely. Police ultimately decided not to charge Paul with domestic assault, noting that some of the allegations were out of the statute of limitations. Both Mortensen and Paul had TV appearances canceled: Paul was scheduled to be the next Bachelorette, and ABC scrapped that season, and Hulu is editing Mortensen out of Vanderpump Villa season three. Even without their shows airing, the public continues to watch.
Source: Read Full Article
