
Taylor Frankie Paul: Mormon Swinging, Soaking & Kids
Taylor Frankie Paul’s pivot from MomTok influencer to the center of a very real Mormon swinging scandal is the kind of story that makes you want to ask someone to fact-check it twice. It’s all true—and the fallout has reshaped how many people talk about faith, marriage, and digital fame. This article separates verified details from online noise, covering her divorce, her relationship with Dakota Mortensen, and the cultural terms soaking and durfing that emerged from the controversy.
Full name: Taylor Frankie Paul · Born: May 23, 1994 · Known for: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, TikTok influencer · Children: 3 · Former religion: LDS (Mormon) – disaffiliated · Marital status: Divorced from Tate Paul (2023)
Quick snapshot
- Paul publicly admitted to cheating on ex-husband Tate Paul (People (celebrity news magazine))
- She described involvement in a “soft swinging” group (People)
- Dakota Mortensen is the father of her third child (content plan verified) (People (celebrity news magazine))
- Exact details of the swinging arrangement between Taylor and Tate Paul
- Whether she and Dakota Mortensen are still romantically involved (content plan – open question)
- 2022: MomTok swinging scandal goes viral on TikTok (Salon (culture and news site))
- 2023: Divorce from Tate Paul finalized; third child born (Salon (culture and news site))
- 2024: Hulu reality show premieres (Salon (culture and news site))
- 2026: Domestic violence charges resurface (Salon (culture and news site))
- Season 2 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives likely revisits the scandal
- Legal proceedings related to 2023 domestic incident may resume
Here are the verified biographical facts about Taylor Frankie Paul.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Birth date | May 23, 1994 |
| Children | Indy (born 2019), Ocean (born 2021), Ever (born 2023) |
| Ex‑husband | Tate Paul (married 2017, divorced 2023) |
| Current partner | Dakota Mortensen |
| Religion | Former LDS |
| Notable work | The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu, 2024) |
Are Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota still together?
Current relationship status with Dakota Mortensen
The question of whether Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen are still a couple remains one of the most searched uncertainties around her. Dakota is the father of her youngest child, Ever, born in 2023. According to the content plan’s overview, they have been seen together publicly as of late 2024, but no official statement confirms a current romantic relationship. The Salon article from March 2026 notes that a video surfaced showing events before police arrived at Paul’s door in 2023, and that the pair were under renewed domestic‑violence scrutiny (Salon (culture and news site)). The same report says filming of a new season of The Bachelorette was paused on March 16 in connection with the latest incident.
Paul’s private relationship with Mortensen is now entangled with criminal charges. The public may never get a clean answer about their romantic status until the legal chapter closes.
Timeline of their public appearances together
- Late 2022 – Taylor and Dakota spotted together after her separation from Tate Paul.
- 2023 – Ever born; Dakota listed as father.
- 2024 – Brief public outings, no joint press statements.
- 2026 – Domestic violence reports bring their relationship into court documents (Salon).
The implication: the relationship that started amid soft‑swinging gossip has become the centerpiece of a very serious legal case.
What happened with Taylor and Tate Paul?
Marriage duration and divorce filing
Taylor married Tate Paul in 2017 after a short courtship. They had two children together, Indy (2019) and Ocean (2021). By 2022, the couple was part of a “soft swinging” group that became public through TikTok drama. Taylor admitted to cheating on Tate, and the divorce was finalized in 2023 (People (celebrity news magazine)). Tate has since been largely private, but a 2023 People interview quoted him focusing on co‑parenting (People).
Cheating and swinging allegations
The scandal, often labeled “soft swinging,” involved a group of Mormon moms in Utah who allegedly engaged in consensual intimacy that stops short of intercourse. Taylor Frankie Paul acknowledged the group’s existence and her participation. She also claimed that fellow MomTok member Makenna Gibbons “was one of the instigators” and that Gibbons “never asked to stop” before the fallout (People).
The swinging allegations didn’t just end a marriage—they exposed the hidden tensions between LDS teachings and the real‑life behaviour of a group of influencers. Paul’s admission shattered the curated image of the MomTok brand.
The catch: while Paul admitted to cheating, the exact boundaries of the swinging agreement between her and Tate remain unclear.
Who are the fathers of Taylor Frankie Paul’s children?
Indy and Ocean’s father: Tate Paul
Tate Paul is the biological father of Taylor’s first two children, Indy (born 2019) and Ocean (born 2021). The couple were married at the time of both births.
Ever’s father: Dakota Mortensen
Ever, born in 2023, is Taylor’s third child. Dakota Mortensen is listed as the father. Mortensen has appeared sporadically on social media with Taylor but has kept a relatively low profile.
Taylor Frankie Paul’s three children have two different fathers, reflecting the shifting relationships in her life.
| Child | Birth year | Father |
|---|---|---|
| Indy | 2019 | Tate Paul |
| Ocean | 2021 | Tate Paul |
| Ever | 2023 | Dakota Mortensen |
The pattern: Paul’s family structure shifted as her marriage collapsed, and the public timeline of her relationships is now essential context for understanding her legal and personal challenges.
Is Taylor Frankie Paul still LDS?
Her departure from the LDS Church
Taylor Frankie Paul has publicly stated that she no longer identifies as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints. In interviews and social media posts, she cited the swinging scandal and the resulting personal fallout as reasons for leaving (People). Her departure was also a central narrative in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives teaser material.
Why she left Mormonism
Paul was raised in the LDS faith and was an active member during her marriage. After the soft‑swinging revelations, she faced judgment from her local ward and online critics. In a TikTok video that later circulated, she said the church’s focus on family perfection clashed with her reality. She has not formally resigned but has distanced herself from practice (The Viall Files (podcast interview)).
Her departure from Mormonism is not a simple faith shift—it’s a strategic identity break. By leaving, Paul separates her brand from the purity culture that made the scandal so explosive in the first place.
The implication: Paul’s disaffiliation from the LDS Church has reshaped her public identity and opened a new chapter in her career as a reality television figure.
What is soaking and durfing in Mormon culture?
Definition of soaking as a sexual practice
“Soaking” refers to a practice sometimes associated with LDS youth, where partners engage in vaginal penetration without