Taylor Frankie Paul & Dakota Mortensen
Video Shows Brutal 2023 Fight, Child Struck
Published
TMZ.com
Taylor Frankie Paul repeatedly attacked Dakota Mortensen during the 2023 incident in which she pled guilty to aggravated assault, and the video shows that one of her children was struck during the fight.
TMZ has obtained the video — a copy of which was evidence in the case — and it’s hard to watch. Dakota struggles to record the altercation with his cellphone as Taylor puts him in a headlock. She backs off … but then charges and tries to kick him.
The struggle turns violent as Taylor grabs a metal barstool and hurls it at Dakota. He screams at her — “your daughter is sitting right there” — but she persists, throwing 2 more stools at him. At that moment, you hear her child, who was curled up on the couch, begin crying.
The police report says the 5-year-old girl was hit and later had a “goose egg on her head.”
Police arrived on the scene that night after a neighbor called to complain about the noise, and in the video you hear the officer trying to separate them.
During the fight, Taylor yells “you threw me” a few times, and she later claims to police Dakota had thrown her to the ground prior to what’s seen in the video.
We know responding officers saw this video, and prosecutors used it in their case against Taylor.
She eventually pled guilty to the felony and was placed on 3 years’ probation, which ends in August. If she keeps her nose clean until then, the conviction will not appear on her record. As part of the deal, prosecutors dropped 4 other charges, including domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse, and criminal mischief.
TMZ broke the story … there have been ongoing allegations of violence between Taylor and Dakota. There’s an open investigation by the Utah Division of Children and Family Services, and both Taylor and Dakota have been ordered to undergo a psych evaluation.
A rep for Taylor is lashing out at Dakota, telling us … “It’s sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child. Releasing an old and selectively edited video on their son’s birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior.”
The rep added, “Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show and from their own experiences.”
Filming on ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ has been put on ice … this, after other members of the cast refused to film because of the drama surrounding Taylor.
Taylor is scheduled to star in “The Bachelorette,” which premieres Sunday on ABC.
We have reached out to Dakota and ABC, but have not heard back from either.
