Dakota Mortensen is speaking out after his ex-girlfriend, Taylor Frankie Paul, escaped prosecution in their domestic violence cases, saying his sole focus is on the well-being of their young son while also taking some accountability.
Dakota posted an essay on Instagram early Monday morning after prosecutors in Utah announced last week Taylor would not face criminal charges following several of the former couple's domestic violence incidents from February of this year. Prosecutors indicated it would be tough to prove the cases beyond a reasonable doubt.
In his IG post, Dakota said he's recently taken a step back from all the drama -- while trying to create a stable environment for the 2-year-old son he shares with Taylor. Taylor temporarily lost custody of their son after Dakota filed a temporary protective order against her.
Dakota also wrote that he's not perfect and takes accountability for what happened between him and Taylor, apologizing for his role in the whole ordeal.
As you know, Taylor was the star of the reality show, "The Secret Lives of Mormon Lives." She was also set to star in the since-scrapped latest season of "The Bachelorette" ... until the show got canceled after TMZ published video from Taylor and Dakota's 2023 domestic incident, in which Taylor was criminally charged.
Sorry, One Direction fans ... a reunion seems ever less likely to happen -- because a new report claims Zayn Malik slugged Louis Tomlinson.
The Sun laid out the alleged altercation in an article posted late Friday ... claiming the fight went down during the filming of a new Netflix reality show which was supposed to focus on the pair bonding on a road trip.
The outlet says sources told them the fight was triggered when Malik made a crack about Tomlinson's mom ... who died of cancer in 2016 -- not the kind of quip friendships usually come back from.
"Summer House" alum Lexi Wood has advice for her former castmates following the West Wilson-Amanda Batuladating drama -- date outside the group!
We caught up with the reality personality outside Craig's in West L.A. Friday night and she laid her advice out for us -- it's all in the clip. Oh, and she says Ciara Miller can do way better than the boys in the cast, anyway!
She doesn't hold back -- she tells TMZ everyone knows "the girls are better than the guys" in the house, and that Ciara knows she will be "better off" once the dust settles down.
West Wilson and Amanda Batula's love isn’t just a spring training fling ... they're seemingly hitting it out of the park with a date night to watch the Yankees!
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Check it out -- the "Summer House" stars were all cuddled up and cute at Friday night's New York Yankees game against the Kansas City Royals in NYC. They ain't afraid to show their affection for one another either ... passionately locking lips at one point, which was caught on the big screen!
As you know, Amanda and West shocked fans when they confirmed the rumors they were dating last month -- a major strike to Amanda's costar and close friend, Ciara Miller, who previously dated West.
Ciara has since unfollowed both Amanda and West on Instagram.
Kylie Jenner is back in the California desert for Coachella Weekend 2 ... and she's arriving in style while showing off her toned abs accentuated by a sexy belly chain.
Check out the pics the makeup mogul shared to IG Friday -- she's grinning wide in low-rise jeans and a cropped tank that puts her firm core on full display.
She draws even more attention to her stomach with a sparkling belly chain embellished with what appears to be a cross charm.
Not only is the reality star famous for her iconic zingers -- like "Kim, there's people that are dying" -- but she's also known to take quite the sexy snap.
Kourt has racked up a few sizzling shots over the years ... so why not celebrate her big day by showing some off?
Check out the bodacious birthday girl in our gallery ... Happy Birthday Kourtney!!!
"Owning Manhattan" starJade Shenker is raising serious questions over the death of her father Marc ... as she isn’t convinced cops are on the right track, TMZ has learned.
The Netflix star tells us she isn't buying the authorities' preliminary findings that her father's death appears to be natural and to not raise any concerns ... saying she’s in the process of ordering a private autopsy to take a closer look.
Hollywood Police in Florida confirm to TMZ that officers responded to a death investigation at Marc's residence on April 12th, around 10 AM local time.
"The Bachelor" alum Erica Rose Sanders ditched the roses for rosé this weekend -- taking over TMZ’s Brunch Bus for a booze-fueled spin across L.A.
Erica -- now a lawyer -- was running the show, leading riders on a full-on brunch crawl -- with DJ Coach West keeping the vibes high and the playlist hitting all the right notes.
Erica even slipped into lawyer mode in between partying -- plugging The Rose Sanders Law Firm and dropping quick legal advice ... telling passengers after a crash, swap info, snap pics, and call a lawyer before your insurance -- and no fees unless they win. Noted!
First stop? Beaches WeHo -- where things kicked off with a private drag show and lemon drop shots flowing immediately. Then it was Saddle Ranch -- pink gummy shots on deck, plus riders going hard on the bottomless mimosas.
Final stop, Saint Felix -- cherry shots, snacks, and a proper send-off. Yeah ... safe to say this brunch bus got real lit!
Kyle Cooke isn't sweating that his ex-wife Amanda Batula is canoodling with their costar West Wilson ... because he's also smoochin' someone new!
Page Six obtained video that show the "Summer House" star locking lips with Meghan King on the streets of NYC Thursday night after leaving a party thrown by the tabloid.
You can see in the clip ... KC grabs the 'Real Housewives of Orange County' star by the shoulders before pulling her in for a quick kiss.
The video also includes footage from inside Page Six's "Love Letter to ’90s New York: Revisited" event at Temple Bar in the NoHo neighborhood ... where they're hanging by the bar, drinking and laughing together.
Carrie Ann Inaba was rushed to a hospital after suffering a medical emergency on a flight to New York.
The "Dancing With The Stars" judge detailed her harrowing experience in a lengthy social media post, sharing footage of her in the back of an ambulance and in a hospital bed.
Carrie says she was in the airplane lavatory when she "very suddenly felt quite ill." She says she broke out in a cold sweat, became dizzy, and her arms went numb, which scared her.
Ciara Miller has broken her silence on “Summer House” costars Amanda Batula and West Wilson's scandalous relationship ... and she did not hold back the vitriol.
In an interview with Glamour... the nurse and model talked about who she felt more "betrayed" by ... blasting her ex, West, for going after her best friend, Amanda, when it sure seemed like there was still a spark between them.
Ciara says ... “At the end of the day, a guy’s a guy. Whether or not West and I are working on a relationship, you just can’t put anything past a man.”
Kim Kardashian and her mom, Kris Jenner, demanded Ray J pay them $7 million for breaching their secret 2023 deal over the infamous sex tape ... TMZ has learned.
TMZ obtained the legal letter, dated October 3, 2025, from Kim and Kris’ legal team to Ray J.
The letter claimed Ray J violated the deal, which had a non-disclosure clause provision barring the parties from talking about the sex tape or making false claims. But the docs don't stop there ...
'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Drew Sidora asked a judge to put her estranged husband, Ralph Pittman, behind bars for leaking her private texts ... TMZ has learned.
According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Drew raised the issue to a judge in June 2025 ... months before the Bravo star was ordered to vacate her marital home with Ralph.
In the filing, Drew -- who told the court she's been famous since age 8 -- said her career had been on the rise with a new song and several big projects.
Lisa Hochsteinallegedly spent nearly 6 hours sitting alone in a jail cell with no food after turning herself in to Miami authorities ... this after a judge ordered officials to process and promptly release her ... TMZ has learned.
According to a court order, obtained by TMZ ... "The Real Housewives of Miami" star was to be booked and released on her own recognizance "without undue delay" ... and the judge specifically directed she not be required to appear before a court prior to her release.
Sources familiar with the situation tell us Lisa turned herself in around 9:45 AM Wednesday, was booked at approximately 11 AM, and wasn't released until about 5 PM. The jail confirms she was booked around 11:45 AM and released just before 5 PM. We're told, during that time, she remained in a cold jail cell without food.
Our sources say the surrender had been arranged in advance, with plans in place for her to be guided through the booking process before release.
Troubling 911 audio and a follow-up complaint are shedding light on a chaotic and emotional situation involving "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star Taylor Frankie Paul and her on-again, off-again partner Dakota Mortensen.
In 911 audio obtained by TMZ, you can hear a tense exchange unfolding in real time during a call placed on February 22 of this year ... with a child wailing and crying in the background.
At one point, Dakota is heard saying, “I told you,” while Taylor can be heard speaking in the background ... though much of what she says is unclear, aside from a phrase ending in “to me" as the dispatcher is actively trying to assess the situation while Taylor repeatedly pleads -- saying “please” several times.
Moments later, Dakota gets on the line and explains he’s calling because his son “isn’t doing good” and he wants advice on what to do. He tells the dispatcher the child had thrown up but appears to be okay now, adding that they plan to take him in themselves. When the dispatcher offers to send help, Dakota declines and the call ends shortly afterward.
Dakota Mortensen had sex on the brain after a violent fight with Taylor Frankie Paul ... he asked her if she wanted to bang, but she shut him down hard ... and it's all laid out in text messages.
TMZ obtained the messages Taylor and Dakota sent each other in the wake of their February 2026 altercation, and the conversation includes Dakota texting Taylor, "You don't wanna f***?"