A former neighbor of Taylor Frankie Paul opened up about what it was like living nearby the reality star and her now-ex Dakota Mortensen.
The neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous and was a few homes down from Taylor, 31, at her former place of residence, said the former couple were both “super nice and sweet” and introduced themselves to everyone in the neighborhood when they moved into their rental property, she exclusively shared with Luxury Handbag Shopping.
The resident spoke out about her own experience with the exes as recent drama between them has taken center stage ahead of Taylor’s season 22 Bachelorette debut on Sunday, March 22.
She said that Taylor, who rose to fame on season 1 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives after gaining a massive online following with MomTok, was “always pleasant” and “very direct whenever people approached her.” The neighbor told Us that Taylor seemed “confident” and had a warm demeanor every time they spoke.
Taylor even invited neighbors over and set up a slip-and-slide for the kids in July 2025. (Taylor and Dakota share son Ever, 23 months, while she is also mom to daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, whom she shares with ex-husband Tate Paul.)
“They were nice, pleasant, good neighbors, no disturbances,” the neighbor shared.
Although she never witnessed any police cars at Taylor and Dakota’s home, the neighbor did recall cameramen were always around, but noted that it didn’t seem to bother anyone.
Taylor’s family was also “pretty friendly,” according to the Utah resident, who said her sister would often be around while she was filming.
The ex-neighbor said that Taylor ultimately moved out last year, shortly after Dakota, 33.
Luxury Handbag Shopping has reached out to Taylor and Dakota for comment.
While the season 22 of The Bachelorette, featuring Taylor as the lead, is set to premiere this weekend, filming for season 5 of Mormon Wives recently came to a screeching halt after an alleged altercation between Taylor and Dakota.
A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed to Us on Monday, March 16, that there is an open “domestic assault investigation” regarding the exes, adding, “Allegations have been made in both directions.”
Taylor, for her part, broke her silence on the ongoing scandal while speaking exclusively to Us at a New York City press dinner on Tuesday, March 17. “There’s more to the context to everything and it’s unfortunate,” she shared. “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.”
“So the headlines that are out right now are very hard to see because that’s not the truth of it,” she added. “I have always treated my children with respect and I’ve never touched them.”
“It’s another premiere that’s been taken away from me,” Taylor told Us. “I’ve never enjoyed a premiere for any one of my shows. So it’s just been very sad.”
A rep for Dakota said “his number one priority here is protecting their son, Ever,” in a statement to Entertainment Weekly on Wednesday, March 18, denying rumors that he is the reason the investigation was made public. “He knew there was a possibility it could come out, but he was not going to be the one to proactively do that because he has always wanted a decent relationship with Taylor,” the rep continued. “It’s been really hard to achieve that, but he wants to coparent well.”
