After two and a half months, Utah reality television star and influencer Taylor Frankie Paul will now be able to spend time with her 2-year-old son without supervision, a Utah commissioner ruled.
The change went into effect immediately and will last at least until the next scheduled court hearing on July 8, 3rd District Court Commissioner Russell Minas ordered.
How often Paul can visit with the boy is dictated by Utah code, he added, though he noted the boy’s father and Paul’s ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen, will have custody on holidays.
Both Paul and Mortensen of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” appeared before the commissioner virtually on Monday to review parental time in the custody case.
At the last hearing, Michael McDonald, an attorney representing the child in the case, said the Utah Division of Child and Family Services asked both parents to complete mental health and domestic violence assessments.
(3rd District Court) With their attorneys, Dakota Mortensen and Taylor Frankie Paul attend a custody hearing in 3rd District Court before Commissioner Russell Minas on Monday, June 1, 2026.
The legal teams talked through those assessments Monday, when McDonald first recommended unsupervised visits and standard parental time for Paul.
Eric Swinyard, Paul’s attorney, argued that unlike his client, Mortensen didn’t take accountability in his assessment work, which is private.
“I don’t see any indication that he is forthcoming,” Swinyard said.
Brent Salazar-Hall, Mortensen’s attorney, said his client has “worked on his issues” and that the assessment work he completed is “valid.”
Minas, the commissioner, added Monday that the co-parents should follow treatment recommendations for therapy, follow all relevant Division of Child and Family Services instructions and hire a private lawyer for the child.
They should also avoid making disparaging remarks about each other on social media, he said.
“These are people that have effectively made their private lives public,” Minas said.
He added that he doesn’t want to restrict them from posting, but they should be cautious about “denigrating” one another.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dakota Mortensen speaks with an attorney, Joel Kittrell, as he appears in 3rd District Court for a hearing regarding protective orders in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 30, 2026. He appeared virtually for another court hearing on Monday, June 1, 2026.
Swinyard mentioned several of Mortensen’s social media posts following the last court hearing, including one where Mortensen allegedly intimidated Jessi Draper, a costar on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” after she submitted a private letter to the court in support of Paul.
Salazar-Hall argued that his client shouldn’t have to worry that Paul is “posting everything on her phone,” citing posts he said the influencer has shared online about bruises and alleging abuse.
“The idea that he’s the only abuser is not something we can have,” Salazar-Hall said.
Paul’s legal team also questioned whether others, such as Mortensen’s roommate, were watching the boy when he is in Mortensen’s custody. Three times, they asked for some sort of court filing to indicate who is watching the child at a given time.
That line of questioning ended after Swinyard pointedly asked who was watching the child in that moment.
The commissioner said the parties could discuss that after the hearing, describing Swinyard as “pushy” on the matter. Paul seemed upset at the lack of an answer from Mortensen’s legal team.
The reality television stars had previously filed dueling protective orders which were both granted in April. They are required to stay 100 feet away from each other at all times.
The co-parents will return to court on July 8 to discuss parental time and other concerns.
“I think we are moving in the right direction,” Minas said Monday.

Palak Jayswal