New bodycam footage from Taylor Frankie Paul’s 2023 arrest shows how her mom reacted to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star’s incident with Dakota Mortensen.
In the video released by TMZ on Tuesday, March 24, an officer explained the situation to Liann May, who replied, “Oh my Gosh, really. She’s not like that.”
When the officer shared that Taylor’s children were present, Liann responded, “I was hoping they weren’t here.” (Taylor shares daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul. She’s also mom to son Ever, whom she welcomed with Dakota in 2024.)
Liann appeared surprised when her husband, Jeremy May, suggested that officers might be arresting Taylor, replying, “They’re going to arrest her?” Moments later, Taylor appeared with an officer, saying, “I’m being arrested, I guess for pushing Dakota.”
“Yeah, that’s domestic violence,” Liann replied, while Taylor added, “He pushed me too into that wooden thing right there.”
Liann then questioned “who pushed who first,” to which Taylor responded, “I don’t know.”
An officer, Liann and Jeremy then entered the house, where one of Taylor’s children was seen sitting on the couch and crying. Liann was then seen placing a stool back in the kitchen as the officer discussed the situation with Jeremy.
“She is not like that, that’s why it’s so crazy,” Liann said, while placing a flower vase from the ground onto the kitchen island. “She is not confrontational at all.”
Taylor was arrested in 2023 and charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse with injury and criminal mischief after the incident. Taylor ultimately pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, while the other four charges were dismissed with prejudice. She later reached a plea deal.
On March 16, days before Taylor’s debut as the season 22 Bachelorette, news broke that Taylor and Dakota were involved in an alleged domestic violence incident the previous month. The recent allegations led Hulu to halt the production of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 5. A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department in Utah confirmed to Us Weekly at the time that there was an open “domestic assault investigation” concerning the pair, noting that allegations were “made in both directions.”
“There’s more to the context to everything and it’s unfortunate,” Taylor exclusively told Us at a New York City press dinner on March 17. “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. I have always treated my children with respect and I’ve never touched them. So it’s been really hard.”
Days later, TMZ released footage from the 2023 incident of Taylor physically assaulting and throwing multiple chairs at Dakota. In the clip, Taylor’s daughter can be heard crying in the background.
ABC announced hours later that season 22 of The Bachelorette was canceled days before the Sunday, March 22, premiere.
“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,” a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson told Us in a statement at the time.
Taylor, for her part, broke her silence when a rep told Us she’s “is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security.”
“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,” the rep said.
The statement continued, “There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives. Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
Dakota, for his part, addressed the footage in a separate statement.
“As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation,” Dakota said at the time. “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.”
He has since been granted a temporary protective order against Taylor and given temporary custody of their son in relation to the February incident, per documents obtained by Us.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
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