Taylor Frankie Paul’s ongoing legal battle with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen has taken another dramatic turn, with new court filings painting a troubling picture of their relationship as custody disputes unfold and the public eye remains on their every move. As tensions mount ahead of what would have been her reality TV spotlight, Paul asserts that Mortensen’s behavior grew increasingly intense and unsettling.
In a filing dated April 7 and obtained by People, the 31-year-old alleges a pattern of abusive conduct and coercive control during their time together. She says Mortensen sent multiple messages expressing his feelings after filming wrapped but before the show aired, including lines like “I want you forever,” “I still love and want you,” and requests to “give me a chance” on February 16 and 17, with screenshots included in the filing. Paul describes this period as a turning point, contending that his actions escalated as her public exposure increased.
One of the most startling claims concerns a tattoo Mortensen purportedly got in her honor. Paul says she was shown an image of Mortensen’s lips with her initials tattooed inside, which he allegedly confirmed to her via text. She writes that, given his increasingly possessive and erratic behavior and the fact that they were not in a relationship, the revelation was deeply alarming: “My initials are now permanently tattooed on the body of a man who has been abusive toward and possessive of me.” An insider alleges the tattoo was done on February 14, shortly after Paul shared a Valentine’s Day promotional post for The Bachelorette, and the following day Mortensen allegedly showed it to cast members while cameras were rolling. The filing reportedly includes images of the tattoo reading “TFP,” though no exact date for those photos is provided.
Paul also accuses Mortensen of involvement in releasing a video that contributed to derailing her reality TV opportunity. Just days before the show’s premiere, ABC canceled her season after footage surfaced of a 2023 altercation between the two. In the filing, Paul claims Mortensen played a role in leaking the video, a contention that adds another layer to their highly public dispute.
