Taylor Frankie Paul is offering a candid look at her current co-parenting situation with ex Dakota Mortensen as their custody battle continues over their 2-year-old son, Ever. On Sunday, May 31, the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star shared Instagram Stories revealing that she is only allowed court-ordered supervised visits with her son while Mortensen currently has temporary custody. In one post, Paul said that home projects and renovations are serving as both a “fresh start” and a coping mechanism because her baby has not been with her for months except during visits. She also shared another Story expressing how much she misses Ever, alongside a photo of her hand holding his.
Paul and Mortensen’s relationship has been marked by repeated conflict. The former couple, who had an on-and-off romance involving domestic violence incidents between 2022 and 2023, were both granted protective orders in April. The custody dispute escalated after Mortensen received temporary custody of Ever, while the pair continued to fight in court over permanent arrangements. Paul is also mother to daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul.
The situation has also affected Paul’s television career. In March, filming for season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was halted after Paul and Mortensen were allegedly involved in another domestic violence incident. Although no criminal charges were filed, the controversy contributed to ABC dropping Paul’s planned season of The Bachelorette just days before it was set to premiere.
The couple was scheduled to return to court on Monday, June 1, to address custody matters. Paul’s recent social media posts suggest she is still struggling emotionally as the legal process continues.
In a separate Instagram post on Sunday, Paul reflected on the end of Mental Health Awareness Month and described the recent period as overwhelming. She said that two shows were put on pause and acknowledged the emotional toll of the last several weeks. Her caption encouraged followers to take mental health seriously, learn from mistakes, and allow themselves to smile again after hardship. She also reminded people facing struggles that they are not alone.
The carousel included family photos, including images of Indy, as well as a T-shirt Paul wore bearing a bold message about offense and personal freedom. Another image showed a checklist of emotional symptoms she associated with therapy, including low motivation, low self-esteem, tearfulness, panic, hopelessness, and chronic pain.
Just days earlier, on Wednesday, May 27, Paul had described what she called “psychological torture” in an Instagram Story, saying the emotional damage had affected her more deeply than physical harm. She wrote that the experience had left her feeling like “a shell of a human” and acknowledged how difficult it was to share publicly.
A crisis support reminder was included with the post, directing anyone in distress to call or text 988 or use the 988 Lifeline chat service.
