What To Know About Dakota Mortensen, Taylor Frankie Paul's Ex-boyfriend

Reality TV personalities Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen are astatine nan halfway of home unit investigations making nationalist headlines.

Soon aft video footage of a 2023 convulsive altercation betwixt nan brace circulated online, ABC canceled Season 22 of “The Bachelorette,” which Paul was group to lead. Mortensen has denied leaking nan clip, which shows Paul kicking and throwing metallic barstools astatine him while her girl cried nearby.

The erstwhile mates shares a toddler, Ever. Paul has 2 further children from her erstwhile matrimony pinch Tate Paul.

Mortensen and Paul’s tumultuous narration is simply a cardinal crippled constituent of Hulu’s deed bid “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” Production of nan 5th play of nan reality show, which follows a group of Utah influencers — dubbed MomTok — arsenic they navigate marriage, relationship and religion, has been put connected region amid nan investigation. Here are 5 things to cognize astir Mortensen.

Before ‘Mormon Wives,’ location was ‘The Island’

Mortensen was calved successful 1993 successful Caldwell, Idaho, and has 4 siblings. He appeared connected NBC‘s short-lived show “The Island,” which followed 14 men arsenic they tried to past connected a distant land for a month. The series, hosted by Bear Grylls, introduced nan then-21-year-old arsenic a vertebrate husbandman — his family owned a vertebrate workplace — who had ne'er visited a formation aliases near nan country, according to US Weekly.

Jud Nichols, Dakota Mortensen, Rob Brothers and James Murray appeared connected nan endurance bid “The Island,” hosted by Bear Grylls.

(NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

He has worked successful tiling and existent estate

Mortensen is nan proprietor of Basin Tiling, according to his Instagram account. The company, which incorporated successful 2020 and is based successful Caldwell, appears to supply contractor services for tiling work. The institution has since been dissolved, according to nan Idaho Secretary of State business database.

“Diving into nan existent property world finally,” Mortensen wrote connected Instagram successful December 2024 alongside a image of his master headshot. “I’ve had my licence for a agelong time, and person ne'er pursued it.”

In early 2025, Mortensen joined nan Utah existent property patient Presidio Real Estate, pinch a attraction connected caller construction, according to nan company’s Instagram. The brokerage was antecedently featured successful nan Bravo reality bid “Sold connected SLC,” which was canceled aft its first season.

Lifestyle influencer and DadToker

Mortensen has go a societal media influencer, pinch astir 830,000 followers connected TikTok and 290,000 followers connected Instagram. He posts a operation of lifestyle, wellness and family content. He has precocious touted creatine supplements and an AI calorie-tracking app. He has been granted impermanent custody of his son, Ever, who often appears successful vlogs. Mortensen is among nan men connected “Mormon Wives” who’s portion of nan influencer group DadTok — a counterpart to MomTok.

History of constituent abuse

Mortensen has spoken candidly astir his betterment from supplier addiction. As a precocious schoolhouse hoops player, he suffered from knee symptom and began taking painkillers fixed to him by a friend, Mortensen said successful a November 2025 question and reply pinch “Recoverycast,” a podcast astir addiction betterment and intelligence health.

The painkillers were his gateway to different substances, including M30 pills and heroin, he said connected nan show. He said astatine magnitude astir his betterment journey, including relapses that sewage him kicked retired of rehab, arsenic good arsenic his struggles pinch withdrawal and suicidal thoughts.

Being connected “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” — and dealing pinch nan aggravated scrutiny that followed — was “probably nan toughest situations I’ve ever been put successful to really trial my sobriety,” he said connected nan podcast.

“I’m very paranoid astir things now,” he added, noting he keeps oculus drops successful his pockets truthful group won’t correction his red, delicate eyes for signs of being precocious connected drugs.

People reported successful June 2025 that Mortensen had been sober for much than 3 years. In a December Instagram Reel, Mortensen said he was proud to person remained sober “through immoderate of nan hardest s— I’ve ever been done successful my full life.”

He was antecedently joined to his precocious schoolhouse sweetheart

He was joined to registered caregiver Kenna Rae Hopkins from 2015 to 2017, according to the Sun. Mortensen and Hopkins, his precocious schoolhouse sweetheart, separated because he hid his supplier usage from her, he said connected nan podcast.

Mortensen and Paul, who initially met done societal media, officially revealed connected TikTok that they were successful a narration successful September 2022. Their on-again, off-again narration has been mired successful cheating rumors, which are a cardinal crippled constituent successful nan TV show.

Paul was arrested successful 2023 and pleaded blameworthy to aggravated battle successful nan home conflict involving Mortensen. The apprehension had been documented successful nan first play of “Mormon Wives.”

The erstwhile mates is besides progressive successful 2 different constabulary investigations. Earlier this month, a Draper Police spokesperson told People that location is an “open home battle investigation” regarding Paul and Mortensen, and said “allegations person been made successful some directions.”

According to Utah’s West Jordan Police Department, Mortensen successful February besides revenge a study against Paul alleging that a domestic unit incident took spot 2 years prior, successful “early-mid 2024.”

Mortensen is reportedly now making love erstwhile 49ers cheerleader Emma Shippen.

His adjacent project

Mortensen is group to look successful an upcoming YouTube bid from “Call Her Daddy” podcaster Alex Cooper’s Unwell Network featuring arguable influencers and reality TV stars. “Unwell Winter Games” will debut April 6, Variety reports.

According to an Instagram post by Unwell, nan show will characteristic 19 formed members, including Mortensen’s erstwhile “Mormon Wives” castmate Demi Engemann, convicted con artist Anna Delvey and “Love Island USA” Season 7 contestant Huda Mustafa, who drew backlash for laughing erstwhile a castmate was called a group slur and is named successful a temporary restraining order revenge by her boyfriend’s erstwhile partner, according to People.

The games will beryllium group successful “a luxury chalet successful Park City, Utah, pinch contestants asked to complete a bid of “mental and beingness challenges complete 4 days,” according to Variety.