Dakota Mortensen, known for his appearance on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” is pulling back the curtain on the darkest chapter of his life. The reality star is opening up about his years-long battle with heroin addiction, how it shaped his life, and how it impacted his relationship with Taylor Frankie Paul.
“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star appeared on “The Viall Files” podcast, where he spoke candidly about how his addiction started and the complicated dynamic it brought into his relationship with Taylor Frankie Paul.
“For me, it started out when I was in high school. I was a big basketball player. I remember I was at a practice once and my knees were hurting super bad,” Mortensen recalled. “I was in the gym and a kid was in there and he was like, ‘Oh dude, I have some pain pills, you want some?’ I had no idea. I didn’t even know what pain pills were. I didn’t really understand it.”
After taking them, he said he felt “zero pain,” calling it the “best thing in the world.” That experience, unfortunately, led to more frequent use. His addiction quickly escalated from pain pills to opioids, then fentanyl and heroin. He attempted a fresh start by moving to Utah, but he relapsed after four years sober.
A Complicated Relationship in the Public Eye
Mortensen said he met Paul while six months sober. The connection, he explained, was instant but overwhelming. Mortensen’s addiction and personal growth have become central storylines on the reality series, with viewers watching him navigate sobriety, fatherhood, and a highly publicized relationship. Despite building a life with Taylor and welcoming their son, Ever True, in March 2024, the couple’s relationship has been far from easy.
The pair made headlines in 2023 when Taylor was arrested following a domestic violence incident. Though charges were later dropped, Mortensen said it marked a significant turning point in his life.
“It’s hard for me to find somebody where I really am like, ‘Yes, I want to be with you.’ With Taylor when I met her, that’s where I kind of felt really scared. It scared me more than anything.”
“Pretty early on I was like, ‘What are we?’ Because I just don’t know. And I could tell something inside of me liked her. I knew it and it scared me really bad. So there was also that part where I didn’t want her to hurt me. That’s the sad part — I was [the] one that hurt her. I think part of that was maybe me sabotaging it. I was so afraid of how much I liked Taylor and how afraid I was of her and knowing that I didn’t know, really, what she wanted or like if this could even be a thing.”
Where Dakota Mortensen and Taylor Frankie Paul Stand Now
He also reflected on the difficulty of navigating recovery and personal challenges in front of a reality TV audience.
“I know a lot of people from a viewer point of view [don’t understand that] having everything aired out to the world is a lot different than just going to a person you care about or your family and telling them something,” he said.
“Then doing it with a show, you don’t have any control over it. If they’re missing something, it’s like that’s not how it was. That to me was really hard to grasp. That was hard to understand. I was like, ‘I don’t want to be torched to the world for it. I just want to have a moment with you where I can talk to you. I want a safe place to talk.’ But that’s not the case.”
As for their current relationship status, Mortensen said they are not officially together, but the connection hasn’t completely faded. During Wednesday’s episode of the podcast, host Nick Viall revealed that Taylor was scheduled to appear on the show the previous month but canceled at the last minute due to personal issues.
Mortensen did confirm that something had happened between the two of them, but declined to share details. He revealed they are working through it while filming season 3 and are continuing to co-parent their son.
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‘Mormon Wives’ Star on Overcoming Heroin Addiction