Erm, Mormon Wives star Dakota had a whole secret divorce before getting with Taylor?!
This is so messy
In the swirl of reality TV drama and scandal, a huge detail about Dakota Mortensen slipped under the radar.
It turns out he was already divorced before beginning his relationship with Taylor Frankie Paul?!
While everyone has been tuned into cheating allegations, the couple’s breakup, and their son, Ever. The fact that Dakota had quietly ended a previous marriage only recently seems to be coming to light.
Taylor and Dakota had a lot of drama
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Taylor and Dakota’s relationship unfolded publicly on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Their saga has been full of breakups, reconciliations, and heartbreak. The two began dating around 2022, after Taylor’s 2022 divorce from her then‑husband, Tate Paul.
Two years after getting together, Dakota and Taylor welcomed their son, Ever, in March 2024.
But their path was rocky. By 2025, the couple had parted ways.
In the season two premiere of the show, Taylor publicly confirmed that she learned Dakota had been unfaithful and dishonest.
She confronted a woman, allegedly connected to Dakota, over revealing text messages, a dramatic betrayal that Taylor said left her feeling devastated, per E! Online.
Their split was made official around May 2025, when Taylor wrote on social media: “Dakota isn’t mine anymore, wish him the best.”
He had a whole secret divorce?!
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Yes, before Taylor, Dakota was previously married to a woman named Kenna Rae Hopkins.
They wed in August 2015, only to separate by December 2016. Their divorce was finalised in February 2017, with Kenna citing “irreconcilable differences.”
The two didn’t have any kids and didn’t share property. The Sun reported that the only financial matter to sort out was an IRS tax debt of about $3,262, which they split.
Neither Dakota nor Kenna publicised the divorce widely. As a result, when Dakota later appeared on screen and began a relationship with Taylor, many of us were clueless about his wild marriage history.
These days, Taylor is ready to date on The Bachelorette, and Dakota appears to be living his best life in Las Vegas.
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