Did Dakota Mortensen Cheat on Taylor Frankie Paul? Family Friend Drama on ‘Mormon Wives,’ Explained
Dakota Mortensen is back in hot water, and yes, the rumors are flying: Was he unfaithful… again? Season 3 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has landed, and the drama just keeps coming. Honestly, it’s a full-time job keeping track of who’s in MomTok at any given moment — and of course, the ever-complicated state of Dakota and Taylor Frankie Paul‘s relationship.
The two had a brief reconciliation this season, complete with Dakota bashfully sneaking out of her bedroom on a group trip. Cute, right? But those smiles didn’t last. Another bombshell hit, and this one might finally cut the cord for good. Did Dakota cheat on Taylor? Will they survive this mess? Let’s dive in.
Did Dakota cheat on Taylor in Season 3?
Let’s get one thing straight right away: Dakota was not unfaithful to Taylor. The alleged incident happened during one of the couple’s many breakups.
That said, it was still a major breach of trust, given that the pair were often reconciling during these periods — and especially considering who the other person involved was. To make matters worse, Dakota never fully owned up to it, despite assuring Taylor that there were no more secrets.
Here’s what went down. During a car ride after Stagecoach Festival, Jordan Ngatikaura told his wife, Jessi, that Dakota had confessed a past fling to him. He revealed that while Dakota and Taylor were broken up, he had grown close to another woman. Supposedly, nothing physical ever happened, but there was a lot of sexting.
Jordan explained: “During one of the times they were broken up, [Taylor’s mom] Liann’s friend reached out to him and was just checking in. He felt it was a safe place, and she started hitting on him. It turned kind of sexual.” Pictures were exchanged, but Jordan says Dakota “shut it down” when they planned to meet up.
Now for the timeline. Although this betrayal is revealed in Season 3, it likely happened years ago. Taylor references the incident occurring while she was pregnant with the couple’s son, Ever. With Ever born in March 2024 — and Dakota and Taylor first dating in 2022 — the sexting drama probably took place sometime in 2023. Now that was some serious girl math.
Who is Dakota’s mystery woman?
When Jessi first heard about the incident from her husband, Jordan, she was shocked at the mention of the name (beeped out for viewers), signaling this was someone Taylor had mentioned before, aka a big deal.
Now, the woman is never named, and we’re not about to try to do that here. Her identity isn’t the point. What matters is her connection to Taylor and why it makes Dakota’s betrayal feel so deep. Taylor referred to her as a family friend who’s been close to the family for years. “She’s at our Christmases. She’s at everything,” Taylor said. Yikes, Dakota. And yikes, Mystery Woman!
Breaking down while talking to Jessi, Taylor recalled, “I’m thinking back to our family parties when I’m pregnant. There’s a picture of him holding my belly, and she’s right there next to us.” She also claimed this was the fourth time Dakota had betrayed her in this way.
By the end of Season 3, Taylor confronted the family friend with her mom, Liann. The friend initially denied the rumors, saying, “I’ve never had a thing for Dakota.” When asked about intimate silhouette pictures sent to him, she first claimed she “honestly doesn’t remember,” then added, “I was in a swimming suit and the picture was from Florida.”
Dakota, meanwhile, refused to film any further scenes discussing the incident. As Taylor explained in one scene: “[Dakota’s] refusing to film if we bring this story up at all.”
Are Dakota and Taylor still together?
What makes the whole situation even more heartbreaking for our girlie is the timing. Right before the reveal — and the catalyst for it — Dakota and Taylor had reunited. At Stagecoach Festival, the pair ended up in her room, seemingly ready to give things another shot. They even had an adorable photoshoot for Ever’s first birthday.
The reconciliation was partly driven by Taylor receiving devastating news about a family member’s leukemia diagnosis, a moment that made her realize how short life can be. But post-reveal? The two are definitely not together. Taylor admitted the situation made her feel completely “grossed out.”
“This is not mendable. I think what broke my heart is that maybe I had a glimmer of hope this last week, but now there’s like nothing. I’ll never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever consider you ever again,” Taylor said.
Adding another twist, back in September, it was announced that Taylor would be the newest Bachelorette for Season 22, so we can safely say she’s scouting other fish in the sea.
Do you think Dakota and Taylor will give it another go? Should they? Let us know in the comments!
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Season 3, Streaming Now, Hulu
