Taylor Frankie Paul has voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation facility and has already completed her stay, according to multiple sources who spoke with People and other outlets this week.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 32, reportedly entered the facility on her doctor’s recommendation, and insiders say the decision was entirely her own. “She’s committed to getting better,” one source told People, describing Paul’s mindset heading into treatment.
E! News later reported that the facility specialized in mental health treatment as well as issues like addiction and trauma, and that Paul entered “on the advice of her mental health team.”
By the time the news became public, Paul had already left the facility and returned home. A source close to her told E! News, “She is committed to working on herself and focusing on her family and being a good mom,” adding that she is now back with her children.
Another insider who spoke with People echoed that sentiment, saying, “The people around Taylor want her to get help,” and adding plainly, “Everyone is just trying to protect the kids.”
It’s worth noting that none of these quotes have been attributed to Paul herself, her representatives, or anyone speaking on the record under their own name… they’re characterized throughout as sources with knowledge of the situation, which is standard for this kind of early reporting but worth keeping in mind as the story develops.
The timing of Paul’s rehab stay is significant given everything else that’s been playing out in her personal life over the past several months.
Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, with whom she shares a 2-year-old son named Ever, have been at the center of an open domestic assault investigation stemming from incidents that occurred on February 24 and 25 of this year.
A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed the investigation to People in March, stating that “allegations have been made in both directions” and that “contact was made with involved parties” on those dates, though the department declined to share further details while the investigation remained active.
A messy legal battle with Dakota Mortensen played out for months.
The fallout from that investigation moved quickly. Mortensen filed for a protective order against Paul on March 19, and around the same time, footage surfaced from a 2023 altercation between the former couple in which Paul could be seen yelling at Mortensen and, at one point, putting him in a headlock while a child was reportedly nearby.
That footage reignited scrutiny of a domestic violence arrest Paul faced back in 2023, for which she ultimately pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault, meaning the charge can eventually be dismissed if she complies with the terms of her plea. The other charges from that 2023 incident have already been dismissed.
Mortensen addressed the situation directly in a statement to E! News in March, denying the allegations against him. “This is a deeply upsetting situation,” he said.
“I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same.” As the legal back-and-forth continued, Paul filed her own protective order on April 7, and just a week later, prosecutors announced they would not be pursuing criminal charges against her.
By April 30, a judge granted mutual protective orders between Paul and Mortensen for a term of three years, while keeping the existing custody arrangement in place.
Mortensen retained custody of Ever, with Paul allowed up to eight hours of supervised visitation per week.
On June 1, a judge eased those restrictions somewhat, lifting the mandatory supervision requirement and granting Paul unsupervised time with Ever on one midweek day and alternating weekends, though Mortensen remains the designated custodial parent on holidays.
The custody drama and investigation didn’t stay contained to the courtroom. In mid-March, production on season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reportedly paused amid the fallout, and by April 21, the Hulu series confirmed it would continue filming without either Paul or Mortensen involved.
A source close to Paul told People at the time that she still “has the option to return” to the show, noting that “she’s receiving strong support from the cast and producers but is focusing on her kids and mental health issues and recovery from an abusive relationship,” and adding, “She’s doing great, and realizing how abusive her relationship actually was.”
Around that same period, ABC made the decision to cancel Paul’s previously announced season of The Bachelorette entirely, just three days before it was set to premiere.
A Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson tied the cancellation directly to the resurfaced 2023 footage, stating at the time, “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time.”
A new legal filing from her ex-husband surfaced the same week.
Adding another layer to an already complicated stretch, reports emerged this week that Paul’s ex-husband, Tate Paul, has filed for a temporary restraining order against her, along with a request for sole custody of their two children together, 8-year-old Indy and 6-year-old Ocean.
According to legal documents cited by TMZ, the filing was submitted on June 30 as part of the former couple’s ongoing 2022 divorce proceedings, and a source close to Tate said he has submitted five supporting exhibits along with a formal declaration.
Those filings remain under seal, so it isn’t publicly known what specifically prompted the request, and it’s important to be clear that a restraining order filing is not itself a finding of wrongdoing.
A source close to Paul pushed back on the timing and motivation behind Tate’s filing, alleging that it stems from Mortensen providing Tate with misleading information about her.
That source claimed Mortensen “will do anything to hurt her, including using the children,” while maintaining that Paul considers herself a survivor of the situation with Mortensen rather than the aggressor.
Because these characterizations come from unnamed sources on both sides of a contentious and partially sealed legal matter, they should be read as competing claims rather than settled fact, and it’s likely more details will emerge as the proceedings continue.
Despite the turbulence surrounding her personal life, those closest to Paul say her focus right now is squarely on her recovery and her three children.
Whether she will eventually return to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives remains an open question, described by insiders as possible but not confirmed.
For now, the story that’s emerging is one of a reality television personality trying to get healthy while navigating overlapping legal battles with two former partners, all while working to shield her kids from as much of the fallout as she can.
Given how much of this situation is still unfolding in real time, including a major legal filing that surfaced within the same 48-hour window as the rehab news… it’s a story likely to keep developing in the days ahead.
