Controversial Reality Star to Be Edited Out of Upcoming Season

Dakota Mortensen will not appear on the upcoming season of Vanderpump Villa. TMZ reports The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives staple’s appearance in the third season has been cut amid ongoing legal issues over domestic violence altercations between he and ex Taylor Frankie Paul try to get resolved. 

An insider told the media outlet the decision to edit Mortensen out was made for similar reasons his ex’s  Bachelorette season was pulled just days ahead of its premiere. As widely reported, Mormon Wives was also paused for production as the cast and crew made sense of what was going on.

New domestic violence accusations emerged between the couple, and not long after, Paul’s season of the ABC dating show was canceled just hours after TMZ posted a video showing what led to her previous 2023 assault arrest against her ex. He now has custody of the child they share together.

Paul has since alleged that she is a victim, and has filed for a protective order against her ex, detailing what she says is years of abuse. PEOPLE reports she claims Mortensen has a “pattern of abusive conduct and coercive control” in their relationship.

Mortensen, 33, previously filed for a protective order against Paul and was granted one along with temporary custody of their 2-year-old son. Paul’s filing claims that Mortensen’s filing was an “effort to sabotage my career,” and sources say the timing of the release of the video, which they believe he leaked, was due to jealousy of her appearing on The Bachelorette.

In Paul’s filing, she detailed several alleged incidents during which he acted violently towards her. The filing includes screenshots of text messages and photos of bruises that she claims is a result of his abuse. 

She detailed one alleged incident where she says Mortensen “assaulted” her by “slamming her head against the dashboard of his truck and striking her knee and elbow” after driving Paul away from her home against her will, where her three children were sleeping inside.