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 the halfway of home unit investigations making nationalist headlines.

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

The erstwhile mates shares a toddler, Ever. Paul has 2 further children from her erstwhile matrimony with 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 the 5th play of the world show, which follows a radical of Utah influencers — dubbed MomTok — arsenic they navigate marriage, relationship and religion, has been enactment connected intermission amid the investigation. Here are 5 things to cognize astir Mortensen.

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

Mortensen was calved successful 1993 successful Caldwell, Idaho, and has 4 siblings. He appeared connected NBC‘s short-lived amusement “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 the then-21-year-old arsenic a vertebrate husbandman — his household owned a vertebrate workplace — who had ne'er visited a formation oregon near the country, according to US Weekly.

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

(NBCUniversal via Getty Images)

He has worked successful tiling and existent estate

Mortensen is the 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 the Idaho Secretary of State concern database.

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

In aboriginal 2025, Mortensen joined the Utah existent property steadfast Presidio Real Estate, with a absorption connected caller construction, according to the company’s Instagram. The brokerage was antecedently featured successful the Bravo world bid “Sold connected SLC,” which was canceled aft its archetypal season.

Lifestyle influencer and DadToker

Mortensen has go a societal media influencer, with astir 830,000 followers connected TikTok and 290,000 followers connected Instagram. He posts a premix of lifestyle, wellness and household 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 the men connected “Mormon Wives” who’s portion of the influencer radical DadTok — a counterpart to MomTok.

History of substance abuse

Mortensen has spoken candidly astir his betterment from cause addiction. As a precocious schoolhouse hoops player, helium suffered from genu symptom and began taking painkillers fixed to him by a friend, Mortensen said successful a November 2025 interrogation with “Recoverycast,” a podcast astir addiction betterment and intelligence health.

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

Being connected “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” — and dealing with the aggravated scrutiny that followed — was “probably the toughest situations I’ve ever been enactment successful to truly trial my sobriety,” helium said connected the podcast.

“I’m precise paranoid astir things now,” helium added, noting helium keeps oculus drops successful his pockets truthful radical won’t mistake 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 helium was arrogant to person remained sober “through immoderate of the 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 due to the fact that helium hid his cause usage from her, helium said connected the 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 the TV show.

Paul was arrested successful 2023 and pleaded blameworthy to aggravated battle successful the home quality involving Mortensen. The apprehension had been documented successful the archetypal 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 determination 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 filed a study against Paul alleging that a home unit incidental took spot 2 years prior, successful “early-mid 2024.”

Mortensen is reportedly present dating erstwhile 49ers cheerleader Emma Shippen.

His adjacent project

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

According to an Instagram station by Unwell, the amusement volition diagnostic 19 formed members, including Mortensen’s erstwhile “Mormon Wives” castmate Demi Engemann, convicted con creator Anna Delvey and “Love Island USA” Season 7 contestant Huda Mustafa, who drew backlash for laughing erstwhile a castmate was called a radical slur and is named successful a impermanent restraining bid filed by her boyfriend’s erstwhile partner, according to People.

The games volition beryllium acceptable successful “a luxury chalet successful Park City, Utah, with contestants asked to implicit a bid of “mental and carnal challenges implicit 4 days,” according to Variety.