Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives series has taken over a decent portion of my (entire) life. It’s a classic love story, a tale as old as time, some might say, that focuses on a girl who meets a boy (while married and soft-swinging) and falls in love. Following her divorce and some online backlash from their haters, they settle down and have a child, only to star in a reality television series, where they promptly end their first season by going on a break. This beautiful tale of the heart describes Taylor Frankie Paul and her on-again, off-again beau (and baby daddy), Dakota Mortensen. In honor of their current break, which will likely end with their eventual reconciliation, here is a look at their relationship timeline, and yes, it is sticky.
I mean, all good love stories are. Right?
Taylor Frankie Paul divorces her husband – May 2022
If it didn’t happen on TikTok, did it even happen? If you are a member of this drama-loving MomTok group, that answer is a big fat nope. In May 2022, Taylor posted about her upcoming divorce from her then-husband, Tate Paul. These two wed in 2016, and their union produced two children, a 7-year-old named Indy and a 4-year-old named Ocean.
In this divorce post (that went viral), Taylor threw in a fun little reveal. She and Tate were into soft-swinging. This bombshell statement about their lifestyle cast a lot of suspicion on her Stanley-carrying MomTok friends. As for those starring in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives with Taylor, none of these ladies took the bait. They all boringly insisted that they never took part in any soft-swinging reindeer games.
According to Taylor, “no one was innocent” in this divorce. She did, however, admit that she escalated their marital problems. You see, she and Tate had rules set in place for their soft-swinging adventures, but Taylor caught feelings for a guy named Dakota and tossed away all of their agreed-upon guidelines. Cue her inevitable divorce from Tate.
Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen make their romance TikTok official – July 2022
Two months after Taylor posted about her divorce from Tate, she returned to her socials to stake her claims on her new man. Well, her old man turned into her official man, Dakota. In July 2022, these two ill-fated lovers hard-launched their romance via TikTok. Naturally, they did so in a way that would bring all the icy comments rolling in fast and hard, like a proper Utah snowstorm.
“Where’s the guy you cheated with,” the words say, dangling over Taylor. Dakota then slides into the frame, cheesing while rubbing his facial hair, as men do.
On Secret Lives, Taylor talks about how her mom wants her daughter to “focus on herself and her children” instead of dating someone new. Even though mothers tend to know best, Taylor ignored her desires and pursued a relationship with Dakota. As the music in her post states, Tate is now her “toxic” past while Dakota is her “new b*tch.”
Taylor Frankie Paul is arrested following a fight with Dakota Mortensen – February 2023
On February 17, 2023, the police paid Taylor a little visit. She and Dakota were going at it. Their fighting resulted in a neighbor calling for help via the men in blue. This phone call, alongside the subsequently recorded police camera footage, played out during Season 1 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
When the police arrived, Taylor admitted that she threw random items, like a chair, at Dakota. This item also allegedly hit one of her children. After questioning both parties, Taylor found herself in a new pair of cuffs, charged with multiple offenses. These charges included aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, and child abuse with injury.
On Hulu, Taylor discussed this incident with her mother. She shared that her probation had been reduced to less frequent meetings with her assigned officer as she decided to take a plea deal that reduced her charges. Then, a few weeks later, Taylor returned to her beloved TikTok account, posting for the first time since her arrest. Her post was simple, showing her and Dakota in bed, with the words “I’m back” overlaid on the top.
Love is tricky sometimes, eh?
Taylor Frankie Paul And Dakota Mortensen’s son enters into the world – March 2024
Following her arrest, Taylor and Dakota endured a rather tumultuous path. Sometimes, they were dating, and sometimes, they were not. But in the season premiere of her new series, Taylor opened up to her mother, revealing that she was pregnant with Dakota’s child. Her mother chose to exit this scene because she felt annoyed by her daughter’s life choices.
Later on, yet in this very same episode, Taylor tells her gathered cast that she has miscarried. Ectopic pregnancies are heartbreaking, but thankfully, her costars rallied around her in support. The next episode takes us on a massive time hop, showing that 11 months have since passed. And when these scenes begin, we can see that Taylor is pregnant (again) with Dakota’s child.
Taylor has a very orthodox mother who fails to play around. She did not want Taylor to make another mistake (in her eyes) by moving in with Dakota simply because a child was now involved. But these two crazy kids will always do as they please. Despite the loudly spoken concerns from her conservative surroundings, meaning her mother, stepfather, and fellow MomTok crew(s), Taylor and Dakota threw caution to their bitter cold winds and moved in together.
It’s giving Lil Nas X, signing, “Can’t nobody tell me them nothing.”
On March 19, 2024, Taylor gave birth to her first child with Dakota. Welcome to this world, Ever True. Perhaps TikTok will be your first word.
Taylor Frankie Paul And Dakota Mortensen enter into another break – September 2024
Babies are hard. That newborn stage is like a mind f*ck, where you are never sure what day, time, or month it is. Three cheers for this borderline non-functioning life stage, am I right? That said, I have zero cheers left for where we are currently finding ourselves, at another fork in the road for all things Taylor and Dakota.
Fans of this new series are likely not shocked to hear about this split. During the finale episode of Season 1, Mayci Neeley shared an anonymous message from her TikTok account. Here, a woman slid into her DM’s, answering a question that Mayci had asked for content purposes. In her message, this woman claimed that she slept with Dakota while he was with Taylor.
On-air, Dakota denied this claim. However, Taylor was left feeling unsure. I see you, trust issues.
As of this week, Taylor and Dakota are no longer an item. Yet they are, as things are merely just complicated once again. “I would say we’re working on things, and I actually have no idea where it goes with us from here. We are not fully together, but not fully done,” Taylor told US Weekly. “I don’t know what the future holds with him and I,” she added.
Taylor is now “heartbroken.” But keep an eye on her lucrative TikTok content. With these two, anything is possible.
TELL US – ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT TAYLOR FRANKIE PAUL AND DAKOTA MORTENSEN ARE ON A BREAK?
