Dakota Mortensen is suing Hulu and the production companies involved in the popular reality TV series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives for alleged defamation.
“The knowingly false portrayal of Mortensen as the abuser in the relationship continued uninterrupted, while the only footage of physical aggression between the two, aggression by Paul against Mortensen, was intentionally withheld from viewers to promote a false narrative,” Mortensen, 33, reportedly alleged in court documents filed on Friday, November 13, and obtained by ABC 4 read. “The series across seasons 3, 4 and 5 presented Mortensen to millions of viewers as a domestic abuser, as a man who retaliated against the mother of his child by reporting her to child protective services and as a serial adulterer.”
Mortensen dated show star Taylor Frankie Paul on and off during the first five seasons of the Hulu series. The exes, who welcomed son Ever in March 2024, split for good in fall 2025 when Paul, 32, went to film The Bachelorette season 22.
Paul’s season was ultimately pulled days before its March premiere after footage footage of her 2023 arrest for domestic violence resurfaced, showing the influencer hitting and throwing chairs at her ex in the presence of her children. (Paul pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in exchange for the dismissal of additional charges pertaining to child abuse. She completed her three-year probation earlier this year.)
Mortensen and Paul each filed protective orders against one another in March after an alleged physical altercation the month prior. A judge has since granted Mortensen sole custody of Ever, with Paul receiving visitation rights. (Taylor also shares two older children with ex-husband Tate Paul, with whom she’s currently involved in a separate custody dispute.)
Mortensen and Taylor have both left Mormon Wives amid their legal battles and as the remaining cast currently films its sixth season. Mortensen has also taken a step back from the public eye in light of the drama.
“I actually deleted all of my social media apps for over a month and what an incredible experience,” he said in an August social media video. “It was like detoxing. … I think it was really distracting me from being a dad, being a better person. So, anyways I feel like I am in a better place right now. Not that literally any of you care, but I wanted to share it anyways.”
Mortensen, who has not publicly addressed the lawsuit, argued in his court petition that Mormon Wives portrayed him as “a domestic abuser” and a “serial adulterer” who retaliated against Taylor by calling Child Protective Services (CPS). He alleged that production used staged events and purposely left out footage from the final edit to support the alleged narrative.
Mortensen further claimed that he was assured by producers, who allegedly knew the accusations were false, that he could respond to the accusations during the season 3 reunion. He said that his segment was reportedly cut from the episode when it aired on Hulu.
Hulu has not publicly addressed the lawsuit. Us reached out to a rep for the show and network for comment.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
