Taylor Frankie Paul-Dakota Mortensen's toxic' relationship slammed by judge
What's the story
A Utah judge has slammed reality TV stars Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen for their "toxic" relationship. Commissioner Russell Minas made the comments during a Thursday hearing where he ordered mutual protective orders for the pair. "This has been a very toxic relationship," he said, per Us Weekly. "It's beyond the pale in a lot of ways, the toxicity."
Co-parenting
Paul and Mortensen were called 'dysfunctional'
The judge emphasized the need for the former couple to come together as co-parents for their son, Ever. "You guys have to figure out a lot here. You have to figure out how to function as coparents," he said. He also called their relationship "dysfunctional" amid an ongoing custody battle, with Mortensen currently having physical custody and Paul allowed supervised visitation.
Custody battle
Judge reminded them to put their son 1st
The judge expressed concern that Paul and Mortensen aren't "people who just thrive on the drama and the conflict." He reminded them to put their "child first and shield the child from this conflict." He also pointed out that they are "linked together for the remainder of your lives," through their son. "You're modeling how you deal with conflict to a 2-year-old," he said.
Domestic violence
There was 'violence that's occurred both ways'
The judge also noted that there had been "been violence that's occurred both ways between these parties." He described Paul's behavior as "more reactive" and said Mortensen's conduct was "subtle." The former couple was ordered to stay 100 feet from each other, granting them the protective orders they previously sought. Paul temporarily lost custody of Ever earlier this month amid mutual allegations of abuse.
Legal proceedings
First sighting of the former couple since the legal drama
The court appearance was the first time Paul and Mortensen were seen together since their legal drama began in March, when it was revealed that they were facing multiple domestic violence investigations. The Salt Lake County District Attorney's office declined to file new charges against Paul earlier in April due to an "evidentiary issue" in the Draper and West Jordan Police Department investigations.
Reality TV fallout
Paul was arrested in March for domestic violence
In March, TMZ released a video of Paul and Mortensen's 2023 encounter, during which Paul was seen apparently throwing barstools while her daughter, Indy, sat on a nearby couch. She was arrested over the incident and pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault. ABC subsequently canceled Paul's upcoming season of The Bachelorette following the release of the tape.