A Utah judge issued a temporary protective order on Tuesday against Dakota Mortensen, the ex-boyfriend of Taylor Frankie Paul, requiring him to maintain a distance of 100 yards from Paul and prohibiting all forms of contact. The order will remain in effect until a hearing later this month, when the court will determine whether to grant permanent restraining orders.
According to court documents, the protective order bars Mortensen from emailing, texting, calling, or communicating in any manner with Paul. The order represents the latest development in an increasingly contentious legal dispute between the former couple.
The current order follows Mortensen's own petition for protection filed in May, in which he claimed Paul attacked him in February 2026 and cited multiple alleged incidents from their relationship. The court granted that initial petition and awarded Mortensen temporary custody of their son, Ever.
This week, Paul filed her own petition against Mortensen, asserting that he was the abusive party during their relationship. In her filing, Paul claimed Mortensen exhibited possessive and jealous behavior regarding her appearance on "The Bachelorette." Paul submitted photographs of alleged text messages to support her claims in court.
During Tuesday's hearing, the judge established new visitation parameters. Paul was granted supervised visitation with their child for up to eight hours, while Mortensen will continue serving as the primary caregiver. The court order also prohibits Mortensen from drinking alcohol or using drugs before or during visitation periods.
The upcoming hearing later this month will address whether either party will receive a permanent restraining order against the other. Both parties have now filed protective order petitions against each other, with each alleging abusive conduct during their relationship.