One of Dakota Mortensen’s upcoming projects is being impacted amid his and “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Taylor Frankie Paul’s domestic violence investigation.
Paul’s ex-boyfriend is being edited out of Season 3 of “Vanderpump Villa,” a source familiar with the show confirmed to NBC News April 3.
Hulu and Mortensen did not immediately respond to TODAY.com’s request for comment. Variety was first to report the news.
In Season 4 of “Mormon Wives,” Mortensen, along with other “DadTok” members (the husbands and boyfriends of the “Mormon Wives” stars), were invited to be part of the upcoming season of “Vanderpump Villa.” This came after the “Mormon Wives” ladies made cameos in the Lisa Vanderpump-led show in the prior season.
As news broke of Mortensen being cut from the new “Vanderpump Villa” season, which will premiere April 16, Vanderpump told People that he “didn’t really have a big storyline” on the show and removing him “hasn’t affected the story.”
“We don’t want to shine a spotlight on something that’s been so controversial when we have so much great content,” Vanderpump said. “Our show’s ready to go. Obviously, we don’t want to do anything extraordinarily significant at this stage in the game, but it’s ready to go.”
She added that Mortensen did have a “brief storyline of an interaction with somebody else, and we just scaled that back because of the controversy.”
“We’ve got so much ‘feel good factor’ and so much story content anyway,” she continued. “The visuals are beautiful, the stories are complicated. There’s a lot of humor in it, there’s a lot of funny, sexy time and it’s a great show. It’s great entertainment.”
Mortensen and Paul, who share a 2-year-old son, are currently part of an ongoing investigation. A police spokesman told NBC News on March 24, officials are investigating allegations of a third domestic violence incident involving the former couple.
The news came after three sources close to the matter told NBC News March 17, that filming for Season 5 of “Mormon Wives” was halted amid an investigation.
On March 19, TMZ published a video of a 2023 altercation between Mortensen and Paul, where she is seen throwing a chair at him in front of her daughter.
Shortly after the video’s release, ABC canceled Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette,” three days before the premiere.
A statement from Paul’s spokesperson obtained by TODAY.com said the reality television star is “very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security.”
“After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm,” the statement read. “There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives.”
Adding, “Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
On his end, Mortensen told People, “As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation.”
“I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same,” he said.
Mortensen also filed a petition for a protective order against Paul on March 20 in Salt Lake County, documents obtained by NBC News confirm. A court date has been scheduled for April 7.
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