Soft swinging, assault charges and 'sister wives'. The Taylor Frankie Paul story explained.

It's time to talk about one of the best subjects on earth: Mormon MomTok. 

Yes, yes that's the American spelling, but it is what it is and it's a magical corner of the internet.

While there is of course thousands of Tiktok videos where women share parenting tips and 'day in the life' content, this specific group of Mormon mothers live in Utah and all exploded on the social media platform at the same time. 

But none gained popularity quite like Taylor Frankie Paul. 

Taylor, who has a following of four million, started posting videos with her husband, Tate Paul, and children, Indy and Ocean, in 2020 and quickly mastered the art of going viral.

She regularly posted choreographed dance routines with her posse of supporting Mormon mums, including Whitney Leavitt, Camille Munday and Miranda McWhorter, often referring to them as her "sister wives".

Ex-husband Tate Paul and Taylor Frankie Paul in happier times in 2018. Image: Instagram/@taylorfrankiepaul. 

This brings us to 2022 when Taylor suddenly announced that she and Tate were getting a divorce and she had moved out. 

"In my twenties, getting divorced, started therapy, living on my own for the first time along with two little kids," she wrote on a lip-syncing video.

But this wasn't all. 

Two days later, Taylor told followers her marriage breakdown was due to "soft swinging". 

Taylor Frankie Paul's 'soft swinging' claims.

In May 2022 in a TikTok Live, Taylor said her then-husband asked for a divorce because she violated an agreed swinging arrangement made with their other Mormon friends. 

She said the couple had participated in "soft swinging" with their married friends, whereby she and the other wives would get drunk before making out with each other and each other's husbands. 

But Taylor admitted that she took things too far one night when she was "belligerent" drunk and "messed around" with one of her friend's husbands. 

"We had an agreement, like all of us, and I did step out of that agreement. That's where I messed up, and I, obviously, am losing everything that I have," she said. 

Paul added that she didn't think what she did was completely out of line, even if she did admit to developing feelings for the other unnamed husband (more on him later). 

"No one was innocent. Everyone has hooked up with everyone in this situation. So, yes, I'm getting shunned for doing that, but it wasn't like I was going around hooking up with my friend's husband," she said. 

"I was friends with these people, and we spent a lot of time together. We were intimate on several occasions. Tate has made out with several girls and [done] other things, and I've made out with all of the husbands and [done] other things."

Ummmmm okay. 

@taylorfrankiepaul

I wouldn’t threaten someone who has already lost a lot.

♬ suono originale - Vico

Either way, Taylor broke one of the strict conditions, as they agreed a married partner can't get intimate with another person away from the group, or unless their partner is present.

Needless to say, the revelation sent her followers into a spin as they tried to figure out exactly which husband was involved. 

And fellow 'Mormon moms' Mayci Neeley, Whitney Leavitt, and Victoria Zalic all posted TikToks to deny they were ever involved with the swinging.

Miranda McWhorter and her husband Chase also denied the soft swinging allegations, with Miranda also alleging that she had a falling out with Taylor because she started a rumour that Chase had feelings for her. 

Taylor has since confirmed to fans Miranda and Chase weren’t the couple involved. 

But she did claim there was bigger ramifications beyond TikTok, as there were "three divorces in our friend group right now." Although she clarified one was "not really to do with this situation, but there are two of us who are getting divorced." 

Taylor also stirred the pot again by saying the swinging incident was just the "tip of the iceberg", and now she and Tate remain on "good terms". 

By June, the mum-of-two announced she would no longer disclose the intimate details of her divorce.

"After talking with my legal team, I have all rights to share my story if wanted. However, I feel that I shared a part and will not be sharing anything else from here on out," she said on Instagram.

To this day, people still speculate that the whole ordeal was orchestrated so that Taylor would become a star on the next season of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. However, Taylor has denied this rumour. 

She has since started dating her boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, and later confirmed he was the guy she "cheated with."

Dakota Mortensen and Taylor Frankie Paul. Image: Instagram/@taylorfrankiepaul. 

Taylor Frankie Paul's arrest.

Alas, Taylor Frankie Paul wasn't done grabbing headlines. 

In February 2023, she was arrested - and the allegations were disturbing. 

She was charged with assault, criminal mischief and domestic violence in the presence of a child. 

The 28-year-old was taken into custody after neighbours called the police when she "threw heavy metal chairs" at her partner Dakota and "put him in a chokehold".

The court records stated that one of the chairs supposedly hit Taylor's six-year-old daughter, leaving her with an injury. 

"A video of the incident shows Paul kick [the victim], put him in a chokehold and strike him multiple times," the filing read. 

Paul spent nine hours in custody before being released.

She pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault. As part of the plea deal, other charges were dismissed which included two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, a misdemeanour charge of child abuse and a misdemeanour charge of criminal mischief.

Paul has since returned to TikTok alongside Dakota, with the couple still together and posting regularly as a family, like that whole arrest thing never happened. 

"The last few weeks have been the hardest weeks of my life," she wrote in an Instagram Story.

"I've silently been working on healing, therapy, a blessing, starting classes, and got on antidepressants to help me during this time. I'm starting to feel progress and will be back to work soon." 

What is Taylor Frankie Paul's life like now? 

Despite their altercation, Taylor is still in a relationship with Dakota, the man she cheated with while married to Tate.

The couple announced in September 2023 they were expecting a child together. 

Taylor opened up in an earlier TikTok that the couple were expecting a child together in late 2022, but she had suffered an ectopic pregnancy. 

In a recent TikTok, she also opened up about co-parenting with her ex-husband, Tate. 

"I'm lucky because it's been very cordial. It's been smooth and easy, especially [given] how public our situation was," she said.

"I talk to him weekly, if not daily. He'll be in my life for the rest of our lives — just like Dakota will be." 

Feature image: Instagram/@taylorfrankiepaul. 

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