Lisa Vanderpump Speaks Out About Cutting Dakota Mortensen from “Vanderpump Villa” amid Taylor Frankie Paul Scandal (Exclusive)
Lisa Vanderpump Speaks Out About Cutting Dakota Mortensen from “Vanderpump Villa” amid Taylor Frankie Paul Scandal (Exclusive)
Liza Esquibias, Sean MandellFri, April 3, 2026 at 7:13 PM UTC
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Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty; Sara Jaye/Getty -
Dakota Mortensen is being edited out of Vanderpump Villa season 3 amid the domestic violence investigation involving his ex Taylor Frankie Paul
Lisa Vanderpump confirms the news to PEOPLE and says that removing Mortensen hasn’t impacted the show’s storyline
Last month, a video of a 2023 altercation between Mortensen and Paul was released, leading to the cancelation of her already-filmed season of The Bachelorette
Dakota Mortensen will no longer be featured in Vanderpump Villa season 3.
PEOPLE can confirm that the reality personality, 33, is being edited out of the upcoming installment of the Hulu series, which is set to premiere on Thursday, April 16, amid the ongoing domestic violence investigation into Mortensen and his ex-girlfriend, Taylor Frankie Paul.
Lisa Vanderpump, who leads and executive produces Vanderpump Villa, tells PEOPLE that Mortensen “didn't really have a big storyline” on the show and said that removing him from the final cut “hasn't affected the story.”
“We don’t want to shine a spotlight on something that’s been so controversial when we have so much great content,” she adds. “Our show’s ready to go. Obviously, we don't want to do anything extraordinarily significant at this stage in the game, but it's ready to go.”
Credit: Dakota Mortenson/Instagram ; Disney+
She further shares that Mortensen had a “brief storyline of an interaction with somebody else, and we just scaled that back because of the controversy.”
“We've got so much ‘feel good factor’ and so much story content anyway,” she concludes. “The visuals are beautiful, the stories are complicated. There's a lot of humor in it, there's a lot of funny, sexy time and it's a great show. It's great entertainment.”
On March 16, a spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that Mortensen and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, who share a 2-year-old son, Ever, are the subjects of an open “domestic assault investigation.” The spokesperson stated that “allegations have been made in both directions" and "contact was made with involved parties on [Feb.] 24 and 25."
Shortly after the news broke, multiple sources told PEOPLE that production for season 5 of Mormon Wives was halted due to cast members refusing to work with Paul.
Days later, TMZ published a 2023 video showing Paul throwing chairs at Mortensen in the presence of her daughter, one of two additional children she shares with her ex-husband, Tate Paul.
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In the wake of the footage, ABC announced on March 19 that Paul’s already-filmed season of The Bachelorette would not air, three days before its premiere date.
After the cancellation, a spokesperson for Paul said in a statement, "Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security. After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm."
"There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives. Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story."
Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty; Araya Doheny/Getty; John Shearer/WireImage
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Mortensen responded in his own statement to PEOPLE, writing, "As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation. I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me and our relationship, which I categorically deny. I am focusing on our son and his safety, and hope that Taylor will do the same."
On March 30, Mortensen was announced as part of the cast of Alex Cooper’s upcoming Unwell Winter Games, which includes a roster of 16 "polarizing" celebrities who “compete in a series of mental and physical challenges over the course of four days.”
The show was filmed at a luxury chalet in Park City, Utah, before Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was canceled.
Vanderpump Villa season 3 premieres April 16 on Hulu.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
