SALT LAKE CITY – Tate Paul filed a request at a Utah courthouse on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, seeking a restraining order and sole custody of the two children he shares with former spouse Taylor Frankie Paul.
The legal action comes as Taylor Frankie Paul, a cast member of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” manages multiple domestic disputes involving protective orders, occurring alongside the potential release of her season of ABC’s “The Bachelorette.”
According to court documentation, the request was filed in conjunction with the couple’s 2022 divorce proceedings in Utah’s state court system, where ongoing custody and parent‑time arrangements are typically governed by the state’s domestic relations rules and the “best interests of the child” standard under the Utah divorce and custody statute. Paul is seeking sole custody of their two children, Indy and Ocean, a move that, if granted, could substantially alter any existing joint‑custody or parent‑time schedule previously approved by the court.
The filing includes a declaration and five supporting exhibits. Because the documents are currently under seal, the specific grounds for the restraining order have not been made public, and the court has not yet scheduled a full hearing on the merits. Under Utah procedure, a judge can issue a temporary order based on written submissions and then revisit the case after both parties have an opportunity to respond.
Sources close to Tate tell TMZ … he has also filed to seek sole custody of their two children … Indy and Ocean. People familiar with the matter say the new filing is intended to bring all custody issues involving the former couple back under a single, clarified court order, amid the broader series of protective‑order disputes now surrounding Taylor Frankie Paul.
Concurrent Legal Disputes
This filing follows a separate legal conflict involving Taylor Frankie Paul’s more recent former partner, Dakota Mortensen. Earlier this year, Mortensen contacted law enforcement regarding concerns over a protective order and the custody exchange of their child, prompting additional police and court involvement around Taylor Frankie Paul’s private life.
The overlap of these domestic legal proceedings occurs as Taylor Frankie Paul’s professional visibility increases. She is currently awaiting the potential release of her season of “The Bachelorette” on ABC, a high‑profile platform that could amplify public scrutiny of any court decisions and of how Utah’s family‑law system handles custody, safety and reputation issues involving reality‑television personalities. For network decision‑makers and advertisers, the pending court matters may factor into timing and promotion, though no formal changes to ABC’s release plans have been announced.
Requests for comment have been sent to both Tate Paul and Taylor Frankie Paul; neither party has responded. ABC and producers of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” also declined to comment on how ongoing litigation might interact with production or broadcast decisions.
The matter remains pending before the Utah court system, where any future hearings, rulings or modifications to existing orders will be decided within the state’s established family‑law framework and standard judicial process.
