From Soft Swinging to Custody Wars: Taylor Frankie Paul's Legal Reckoning Escalates

The fallout from Taylor Frankie Paul’s rise to reality TV stardom just hit a new legal low. Her ex-husband Tate Paul filed a temporary restraining order against the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star on Tuesday, June 30, marking another chapter in what’s become a tangled web of domestic disputes, custody battles, and public drama.

Here’s where it gets complicated: Tate, 32, isn’t just seeking a restraining order—he’s also petitioning to modify their divorce and custody agreement and is asking for sole custody of their two children together, daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 6. The exes were married from 2016 to 2022, and by all accounts from Taylor’s own interviews, they’d managed what she called a“very healthy coparenting relationship.”But court filings tell a different story.

The timing is significant. Before The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiered on Hulu, Taylor made headlines in 2022 when she revealed her involvement in“soft swinging”with other people’s partners—the same year she and Tate were divorcing. When asked about how he’d react to seeing her discuss the marriage on screen, Taylor told Us that Tate and his fiancée“were worried”but ultimately felt the show“wasn’t as bad as they thought.”That measured response seems light years away from filing legal paperwork to take their kids away from her.

But the restraining order isn’t the only legal storm Taylor’s weathering. Her ongoing custody battle with ex Dakota Mortensen over their 2-year-old son, Ever, has been far messier, involving allegations of domestic violence from both sides. In February, Mortensen alleged that Taylor had choked him and shoved him into a window—claims she denied. Mortensen was granted temporary custody initially, though a judge later ruled in July that Taylor no longer needed supervised visitation and could have Ever on alternate weekends and one midweek day. Both exes are under a court order to stay at least 100 feet away from each other.

What’s striking is the contrast between Taylor’s public persona—a lifestyle influencer who built her brand on MomTok candor—and the serious allegations now playing out in family court. Footage released by TMZ in March showed unseen 2023 footage of a domestic dispute where Taylor threw chairs before one hit Indy, her daughter with Tate. Meanwhile, Tate has maintained his silence throughout her ascent to reality TV fame, choosing privacy over public commentary on his ex-wife’s choices.

With a hearing scheduled on the restraining order and another hearing between Taylor and Mortensen set for July 8, the next month could reshape custody arrangements for both of her children. The question hanging over all of this: can the messy personal dynamics that fueled a hit TV show be untangled in court?