The polarizing phenomenon, Reality TV star and influence, Taylor Frankie Paul, was granted unsupervised visitation rights with her youngest son, Ever, after a hearing before a Salt Lake City, Utah, judge.
Supervised Visitation Rights
The “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, appeared for a child custody hearing on Monday, June 1, 2026. Both sides have accused the other of domestic abuse, and a protective order was set in place ordering them to stay at least 100 feet apart.
The order allowed Mortensen to win full custody of their 2-year-old son, while allowing Paul to see their toddler only under supervision, a caveat to the previous arrangement in which she had the majority of custody. Both parents were also ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation to determine mental capacity.
“I really cannot describe at all how difficult it’s been for both my client as well as [the child] to endure this separation over the last two and a half months,” Paul’s attorney, Eric Swinyard, said at Monday’s hearing.
“She’s taking ownership. She’s taking actual concrete steps. Dakota has not even started the race because his assessment is so one-sided and does not include anything that could point to his culpability in the story, and he has plenty of it.”
Psychological Evaluation
Paul’s attorney continued to assert that Mortensen’s evaluation did not focus on his own impact or failures leading to the violence, instead narrowed in on his client’s shortcomings. “He simply was not open or honest in his assessment,” Swinyard said.
Mortensen’s attorney, Brent Salazar-Hall, counterargued that he believes there is a disconnect between who is the victim in the situation and that Paul is trying to claim there is more blame to put on her ex than herself.
“I think we just have a situation where there’s an annoyance that his problems aren’t as heavy as the mom’s,” Salazar-Hall said. “I think this court’s pretty clear from the mountain of evidence that my client’s a victim of domestic violence. That’s very clear.”
Social Media Usage
Swinyard told the judge that Mortensen has degraded Paul and witnesses in the case on social media, showing a lack of respect for the situation, but is reluctant to answer when questioned on his personal online activity.
“She’s certainly talking about her journey, and Dakota has interpreted that as being kind of indirect disparagement,” he said. “But she also feels that it’s an important part of her journey to document her healing, so to speak.”
“We keep hearing, ‘Oh, she’s accepted, she’s accepted all of her bad, and it’s him that hasn’t,’” Salazar-Hall countered. “I don’t really hear acceptance. I hear, ‘He’s the abuser,’ and we see it online all the time.”
Be Careful What You Post
While it may be difficult for the two of them, Judge Russell Minas warned them to be cautious about what they post on social media. Just because they are online figures does not mean they need to broadcast every pivotal moment in their court case, especially if it could harm those around them, including their son.
“I certainly do think that both of them have a sense that they are the victims and not the perpetrators, and I get that,” Minas said.
Paul may find it therapeutic to document her healing journey online, but it is not the most appropriate in her situation. Her ex is no different as he continues to fuel her rage. They are both at fault for what is happening, and the sooner they acknowledge it, the better it will be for their son.
New Custody Arrangement
Swinyard requested that the original custody arrangement be restored, allowing Paul 70% of the time with their son, but Minas said he preferred to take “baby steps.” The judge lifted the supervision requirement and allowed Paul to have one weekday and alternating weekends.
Paul and Mortensen will return to court for a follow-up hearing on July 8, 2026.
