Inside The Utah Courtroom Where Taylor Frankie Paul And Dakota Mortensen Faced Off

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — After weeks of headlines astir home disputes, beingness violence, criminal investigations and off-screen drama, a Utah judge put it to reality stars Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen simply: You “need to enactment distant from each other.”

The judge yet granted nan “The Secret Lives of Mormon Housewives” stars communal protective orders during a Thursday tribunal hearing. It marked nan first clip nan on-again, off-again mates has been seen together successful nationalist since their home unit lawsuit made nationalist headlines and a video of an altercation scuttled nan productions and broadcasts of 2 celebrated reality series, “Secret Lives” and “The Bachelorette,” which Paul was expected to beryllium fronting.

Paul and Mortensen’s gathering Thursday was dissimilar nan ones “Mormon Wives” viewers are utilized to on-screen — neither Paul nor Mortensen appeared to admit nan other. Both were calm, respectful and attentive during nan astir two-hour proceeding that hashed retired nan merits of their competing impermanent protective orders.

The only portion of familiarity for fans: Paul showed up a small late, wearing a neutral-toned outfit pinch a Louis Vuitton tote slung complete her shoulder.

Paul, 31, and her ex-partner, Mortensen, 33, had filed dueling petitions for protective orders against each other and person some claimed nan different has been abusive. Their attorneys based on for nan family judge to broadside pinch their clients’ bid and flip retired nan other, while besides arguing complete who should person superior custody of their shared 2-year-old son.

Third District Court Commissioner Russell Minas said that while some had “merit” to their arguments, for nan liking of their son, nan brace should not beryllium successful nan aforesaid spot astatine nan aforesaid time.

“All of nan grounds seems to propose that’s a bad idea,” Minas said.

Taylor Frankie Paul appears successful Third District Court successful Salt Lake City, UT., connected Thursday.Bethany Baker / AP

Following court, Eric Swinyard, 1 of Paul’s attorneys, said his squad is pleased pinch nan outcome.

“What we wanted connected nan DV beforehand was for nan narration to beryllium over,” he said, adding, “We wanted orders successful place.”

The orders will past 3 years and instruction Paul and Mortensen enactment 100 feet distant from each other, Minas said. If violated, “they will look criminal charges.”

Minas acknowledged Paul and Mortensen person a “very toxic relationship” yet a “continuing attraction to each other.”

“I’m hoping that you’re not group who conscionable thrive connected nan play and nan conflict,” Minas told nan pair. “You’ve sewage to put your kid first and shield nan kid from this conflict.”

Swinyard, successful a statement, besides acknowledged that his customer has taken work for her past actions.

“Taylor was incredibly candid pinch nan tribunal that she is not cleanable and owned her faults, which is successful nonstop opposition to really nan different statement presented their argument, contempt grounds and input from rule enforcement that showed otherwise.”

Attorneys for Mortensen did not instantly respond to a petition for remark aft Thursday's hearing.

The tribunal was expected to make a determination connected nan pair’s custody statement for their son, Ever. Minas said he needed much clip to deliberation and wanted to hold for a Department of Child and Family Services assessment.

Swinyard said, “Ultimately pinch today’s result it’s what we were expecting connected nan kid protective front.”

Minas said he’ll make a written proposal connected genitor clip schedules by May 11, and a reappraisal proceeding will return spot June 1.

No different “Mormon Wives” formed members were successful nan courtroom, but some Paul’s and Mortensen’s families were location to show support.

After nan orders were granted, Paul was affectional arsenic she said goodbye to Mortensen’s family successful nan tiny, 28-seat courtroom, and cried arsenic she hugged his mother, who besides shed tears.

Mortensen’s friend and roommate, Cru Eaton, expressed vexation pinch nan outcome, calling it “a joke and pathetic.”

Eaton came to tribunal to support his friend of 7 years and said it is “pretty shocking nan judge swayed that way” and that a batch of things were near unsaid successful court.

“Taylor needs help, and I don’t spot her pinch Ever,” Eaton told NBC News. “... It’s almost for illustration an intolerable conflict erstwhile she’s backed by ABC and Hulu.”

Representatives for Paul did not instantly respond to a petition for remark regarding Eaton’s comments.

Taylor Frankie Paul, 2nd from left, and Dakota Mortensen, acold right, look successful Third District Court for a proceeding regarding protective orders successful Salt Lake City, UT., connected Thursday.Bethany Baker / AP

Paul, who evolved from a TikTok characteristic to a reality TV star, was yanked from her upcoming play starring successful ABC’s “The Bachelorette” pursuing reports that she and Mortensen were progressive successful an ongoing home unit investigation.

The determination to shelve “The Bachelorette” was prompted by a TMZ video depicting Paul attacking Mortensen successful beforehand of her girl successful 2023.

Paul faced charges for nan incident successful that video. She pleaded blameworthy successful abeyance to 1 complaint of aggravated battle successful relationship pinch nan February 2023 charges, according to a plea affidavit. Four different charges successful that lawsuit — including assault, criminal mischief, and home unit successful nan beingness of a kid — were dismissed pinch prejudice.

In tribunal Thursday, Paul’s lawyer discussed nan nationalist leak of that 2023 video to TMZ days earlier Paul’s play of “The Bachelorette” was group to air. That aforesaid day, Mortensen revenge an amended petition for a protective order, he said.

“I understand he denies having done this, but a batch of accusation lends itself to Dakota leaking this, aliases astatine slightest astatine a very minimum, having his fingerprints each complete this,” Swinyard said.

“He wants to virtually destruct her,” Swinyard added.

Swinyard acknowledged Paul’s domiciled successful nan video.

“My customer has zero excuses for this. ... It is simply a calamity that Dakota and my client’s girl were nan victims of her actions,” he said.

He noted that Paul entered a plea successful beforehand for battle connected Mortensen, and said that astatine nan clip of nan incident, she was struggling aft 2 miscarriages but is connected way to complete her probation successful August.

Brent Hall, Mortensen’s attorney, denied that his customer leaked nan video, adding, “He told his publicist not to merchandise nan video.”

Hall said his customer revenge nan protective bid “to break nan cycle” he and Paul were successful and to “protect his child, to extremity nan violence.”

Hall formed uncertainty connected Paul’s information for a protective order, saying it’s “not designed to protect her son, it’s designed to protect her image.”

Dakota Mortensen appears successful Third District Court successful Salt Lake City, UT., connected Thursday. Bethany Baker / AP

At nan extremity of February, Mortensen reported home unit allegations against Paul from events successful 2024, 2025 and 2026 successful some West Jordan and Draper, Utah. Paul besides reported allegations against Mortensen successful narration to nan 2026 incident retired of Draper, spokespeople from some departments confirmed to NBC News.

In April, nan Salt Lake County District Attorney’s agency said it would not prosecute charges against Paul successful relationship pinch immoderate of nan reported cases, citing statute of limitations issues and deficiency of evidence. Days later, nan metropolis of Draper said that Mortensen would not beryllium charged.

The caller back-and-forth has besides had consequences for Mortensen, who was edited retired of nan caller season of nan show “Vanderpump Villa.”

Cast members of “Mormon Wives” expressed interest complete their co-star’s behavior successful a March gathering pinch ABC executives, a signaling of which was shared pinch NBC News. The gathering came aft news of nan criminal investigations and was not related to nan protective bid proceeding Thursday.

In that meeting, nan formed chose to region filming — a unanimous decision, nan audio signaling showed — until ineligible action played retired successful Paul’s cases. The show decided to pick cameras backmost up connected April 21, a root pinch knowledge of nan determination told NBC News.

It is not clear whether Paul and Mortensen will beryllium included successful nan Hulu reality bid going forward, but nan caller protective bid indicates that they cannot beryllium successful nan aforesaid spot astatine nan aforesaid time.

Rebecca Cohen reported from Salt Lake City and Marlene Lenthang from Los Angeles.