Taylor Frankie Paul‘s ex-husband Tate Paul claimed that their daughter, Indy, sustained an injury during the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star’s 2023 domestic dispute with ex Dakota Mortensen.
According to audio recordings obtained by People on Thursday, March 26, Tate had a phone call with the police following the altercation. In it, he claimed that Indy sustained a small injury to her head, which he described to police as a “goose egg.”
Tate allegedly could not photograph the lump because of its small size and Indy’s hair. (In addition to Indy, now 8, Tate and Taylor, who were married from 2016 to 2022, are also parents to son Ocean, 5.)
Taylor, 31, was arrested in 2023 after an alleged altercation with Mortensen, 33. The reality star pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault and was remanded to probation.
In Tate’s audio clips, he also claimed that Taylor’s mom, Liann May, was trying to “coach” Indy on what to say regarding the incident, causing a “conflict of interest.”
Luxury Handbag Shopping has reached out to Taylor for comment.
Earlier this month, more details about the Taylor’s 2023 incident came to light when TMZ published a video from the altercation. In the clip, Taylor can be seen throwing chairs at Mortensen, while Indy could be heard screaming in the corner of the room.
According to bodycam footage from the arrest obtained by Us earlier this month, Taylor claimed that the situation was “an accident.” Mortensen, for his part, claimed that he was trying to “protect” Indy during the dispute.
“Every time I tried to help her, I was getting attacked, so I couldn’t,” he alleged. “I had to hold her down because she wouldn’t stop throwing stuff there. I tried to, like, hold her, squeeze her, almost like a bear hug, and then she just started hitting me again.”
Taylor and Mortensen dated on-and-off from 2023 to 2026. The pair welcomed son Ever in 2024. Earlier this month, Us confirmed that Taylor and Mortensen were being investigated for a second dispute that allegedly took place in February. Utah law enforcement told Us that there was an open domestic violence investigation against the pair after being called to their house. Taylor later denied the allegations ahead of the premiere of her upcoming season of The Bachelorette.
“There’s more to the context to everything and it’s unfortunate,” Taylor exclusively told Us on that month. “It’s been hard. And it sucks to be in this position. And the mother that I am, that is something I will always stand my ground on. I believe that I am a good mother and I have always treated my kids very well.”
Following the release of the 2023 video, ABC subsequently pulled Taylor’s Bachelorette season before it aired.
“In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,” ABC said in a statement to Us.
Taylor addressed ABC’s decision in a statement to Us via her rep, “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”
Mortensen also spoke out telling Us, “I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same.”
News broke on Wednesday, March 25, that the West Jordan Police Department in Utah is looking into claims made against Taylor by Mortensen following an alleged domestic dispute in 2024.
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
