Taylor Frankie Paul candidly detailed the alleged emotional strain she has endured amid her ongoing domestic violence scandal with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.
“The psychological torture damaged me way more than the physical,” the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star wrote via her Instagram Stories Wednesday, alongside a photo of her bruised arm.
“You eventually become a shell of a human,” she added. “This is hard to share because it’s hard to come to terms with.”
Paul, 32, didn’t name anyone specifically, so it’s unclear whether she was referring to Mortensen, 33, or a previous partner.
The reality star and Mortensen have been at the forefront of domestic violence claims since March, when it was revealed “TSLOMW” had paused due to an ongoing investigation.
The Draper City Police Department in Utah stated that both parties made allegations regarding two incidents from February, per People.
Mortensen and Paul had different accounts of what had occurred, each claiming the other was the perpetrator of the attack. They even submitted bloody and bruised photos of themselves to the police.
As the investigation unfolded, a 2023 video of Paul hitting Mortensen in front of her daughter, Indy, was leaked.
At the time, the incident led to the mom of three’s arrest and the cancellation of her “Bachelorette” season. The charges against her were later dropped, but ABC has yet to air her season of the reality series.
The exes, who have been in an on-again, off-again relationship since 2022, later filed respective restraining orders against each other, and Mortensen was granted temporary custody of their 2-year-old son, Ever.
Ultimately, Paul didn’t face new charges in relation to the February domestic violence allegations due to “evidentiary issue[s]” in the investigation.
The former couple made their first public appearance together in court on April 30 to discuss their temporary protective orders and custody of their son.
Paul’s lawyer accused Mortensen of “want[ing] to literally destroy her,” while the latter’s lawyer referred to him as a “domestic violence victim.”
The MomTok star also shares daughter, Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with her ex-husband, Tate Paul.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
