The Ex-Files: 5 Shocking Details About Taylor Frankie Paul’s Ex-Husband And The Soft-Swinging Scandal

The tumultuous world of "MomTok" relationships is constantly evolving, and no one embodies that drama more than Taylor Frankie Paul. As of December 2025, the conversation around her love life is dominated by her high-profile divorce from ex-husband Tate Paul and the explosive "soft-swinging" scandal that shattered their marriage and an entire social media community. This article provides the most current, in-depth look at Tate Paul, the man at the center of the controversy, his life post-divorce, and the full timeline of Taylor’s relationships, including her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, all leading up to her new reality TV spotlight.

The interest in Taylor’s ex-partners has surged following her appearance on the Hulu reality series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and the recent announcement that she is the next star of *The Bachelorette*. To fully understand her journey, one must first examine the man who was her husband for six years and the father of her first two children: Tate Paul.

Biography and Profile of Ex-Husband Tate Paul

Tate Paul was largely a private figure compared to his influencer ex-wife, Taylor Frankie Paul, but he was thrust into the national spotlight when the details of their divorce became public. He is a Utah-based professional who has since completely moved on from the MomTok drama.

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• Full Name: Tate Paul
• Ex-Wife: Taylor Frankie Paul
• Marriage Dates: Married in 2016; divorced in 2022.
• Children with Taylor: Daughter Indy Paul (born 2017) and son Ocean Paul (born 2020).
• Education: Graduated from Salt Lake Community College with a degree in business administration.
• Career: Primarily worked in sales and marketing in Utah, with experience as a district manager.
• Current Relationship Status: Happily remarried to his new wife, Bailey Paul.
• New Child: Welcomed a child with Bailey Paul in late 2023.

The Soft-Swinging Scandal: The True Cause of the Divorce

The dissolution of Taylor and Tate Paul’s marriage was not a quiet affair; it was a sensational event that captivated social media and became known as the "soft-swinging" scandal. This controversy is the single most important detail in their relationship history and the reason for Tate's sudden public profile.

What Exactly Was "Soft Swinging"?

In May 2022, Taylor Frankie Paul went viral on a TikTok Live stream, revealing that she and Tate were getting divorced. The reason she gave was their involvement in a "soft-swinging" arrangement within their close-knit Mormon "MomTok" friend group. Taylor defined "soft swinging" as engaging in activities with other couples that "don't go all the way".

The arrangement, which involved several prominent Utah-based social media influencers, quickly spiraled out of control. The scandal rocked the community, leading to the end of multiple marriages and a firestorm of accusations and "tea" being spilled online.

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The Breaking Point for Tate Paul

The divorce was finalized after Taylor admitted to crossing a line in the swinging arrangement. According to various reports and Taylor's own accounts, she developed feelings for one of the husbands in the group and allegedly had sex with him, despite the group’s "soft" rules. This deviation from the agreed-upon boundaries was the breaking point that led Tate Paul to file for divorce.

The intense public scrutiny and the betrayal within their friend circle made the divorce process extremely messy. Tate Paul, who preferred a private life, was suddenly a central figure in a viral sex scandal, which undoubtedly contributed to his desire to move on quickly and quietly.

Life After Divorce: Tate Paul’s New Chapter and Dakota Mortensen

Following the divorce, both Tate Paul and Taylor Frankie Paul embarked on new relationships, though their paths diverged significantly. Tate chose to step out of the spotlight entirely, while Taylor continued to generate headlines with a new partner and a new reality show.

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Tate Paul and Bailey Paul: A Fresh Start

Tate Paul has achieved the private, stable life he seemed to desire. He quickly moved on from the drama and married his new wife, Bailey Paul. The couple has kept their relationship relatively low-key, focusing on their family life in Utah.

The biggest update in Tate's life is the arrival of a new baby in late 2023, which he shares with Bailey. This development solidifies his fresh start, placing a clear boundary between his current life and the chaos of the "MomTok" era. He remains committed to co-parenting Indy and Ocean with Taylor, but his focus is clearly on his new marriage and growing family.

The Ex-Boyfriend: Dakota Mortensen

While Tate was Taylor's ex-husband, Dakota Mortensen is her most recent significant ex-boyfriend. Their on-again, off-again relationship began shortly after her divorce from Tate in July 2022 and was fraught with its own set of public drama, including a domestic violence arrest for Taylor in early 2023.

Despite the rocky history, Taylor and Dakota welcomed a son, Ever True Mortensen, in March 2024. However, the couple ultimately broke up shortly after their son's birth. Dakota Mortensen, like Tate, has since had to navigate the complexities of co-parenting with a highly public figure, adding another layer to Taylor Frankie Paul's complicated "ex-files."

Taylor Frankie Paul’s Reality TV Spotlight and Her Exes’ Legacy

The entire saga—the marriage to Tate Paul, the soft-swinging revelation, the divorce, and the tumultuous relationship with Dakota Mortensen—is the foundation of Taylor’s current career. She is a main cast member on the Hulu reality series, *The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives*, which heavily features the fallout from the scandal and the complicated lives of the former "MomTok" group.

The show, which also features other MomTok members like Jessi Ngatikaura, Demi Engemann, and Jen Affleck, has brought the scandal to a wider, national audience. Every new step Taylor takes, including her recent casting as the next Bachelorette, is directly linked to the notoriety she gained from her life with Tate Paul and the shocking details that ended their marriage.

In essence, Tate Paul's role as the ex-husband is the catalyst for Taylor’s fame. While he has successfully retreated to a private life with Bailey Paul and their new child, his name remains permanently tied to one of the biggest social media scandals of the decade. The "ex-files" of Taylor Frankie Paul are not just a dating history; they are the narrative that launched her reality television career.