Home / Arts and Entertainment / Tattooed Initials Spark Bachelorette Star's Protective Order
Tattooed Initials Spark Bachelorette Star's Protective Order
8 Apr
Summary
- Taylor Frankie Paul sought a protective order against ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.
- Mortensen allegedly got Paul's initials tattooed on his lip on Valentine's Day.
- Multiple domestic violence investigations are ongoing involving the former couple.
Reality television personality Taylor Frankie Paul has sought a protective order against her former partner, Dakota Mortensen, alleging a history of abusive behavior and coercive control. Paul claims Mortensen exhibited increasingly possessive tendencies as her season of The Bachelorette was set to air.
According to Paul's filing from April 7, 2026, Mortensen allegedly obtained a tattoo of her initials, 'TFP,' on his lip on February 14, 2026, just hours after she posted a Valentine's Day promotion for the show. She described this act as "extremely alarming" given their relationship status.
Mortensen, in turn, had previously filed for a protective order against Paul on March 19, 2026. A recent hearing on April 7, 2026, awarded him custody of their two-year-old son, Ever, with Paul receiving supervised visitation.
The former couple is reportedly involved in two separate domestic assault investigations initiated in February 2026 by Utah police departments. One investigation stems from Mortensen reporting alleged assaults by Paul, while another is being handled by a different department.
Paul's season of The Bachelorette was canceled shortly before its intended March 22, 2026, premiere, following the public release of a 2023 video depicting an altercation involving chairs. Paul alleges Mortensen released the video to humiliate her, a claim Mortensen denies.
Furthermore, Paul faced charges of assault and other offenses following a 2023 arrest related to domestic violence. She has since pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault, with other charges dismissed.
