Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Star Dakota Mortensen Sues Hulu and Producers for Defamation

Dakota Mortensen sued Hulu, Ludwig Productions and Jeff Jenkins Productions on November 14, 2026, alleging the companies defamed him in Seasons three, four and five of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. ABC4 Utah reported the filing. Mortensen seeks compensatory damages and other damages to be determined in a jury trial.

Mortensen's Claims Against Hulu and Producers

Mortensen has appeared on the reality series since it first aired in 2023 and is known for his on-again and off-again relationship with influencer Taylor Frankie Paul. The lawsuit alleges the seasons "presented Mortensen to millions of viewers as a domestic abuser, as a man who retaliated against the mother of his child by reporting her to Child Protective Services, and as a serial adulterer." Mortensen argues those portrayals were false and assembled from staged events, and that significant footage was omitted even though the producers reportedly knew the allegations against him were false.

Mortensen claims he was assured he could respond on camera to false allegations during the Season three reunion, but that his responses were cut. He also alleges production told Paul she could storm the stage for what appeared to be a spontaneous event that was staged, and that a retreat was portrayed as stemming from relationship difficulties when it actually followed Paul's alleged abuse against him and their shared child. Mortensen says a key Season three plot point, his alleged relationship with a family friend, never existed, and that a letter from the friend denying it never aired.

In Season five, Mortensen claims cameras captured Paul striking him with a pizza box and that he demanded the footage be included, but it was cut. The lawsuit states that "the knowingly false portrayal of Mortensen as the abuser in the relationship continued uninterrupted, while the only footage of physical aggression between the two, aggression by Paul against Mortensen, was intentionally withheld from viewers to promote a false narrative." Mortensen also says Paul's statement that he called Child Protective Services on her is false. He claims the broadcasts caused severe injury to his reputation, lost contracts and work opportunities, and thousands of hostile messages, and notes the episodes remain available and are promoted by Hulu.

Hulu's Ownership and Prior Settlements

Hulu is a US subscription streaming platform that has operated as a wholly owned Disney subsidiary since 2024, according to akta.pro company records. Disney agreed in June 2026 to pay $50 million to settle a class-action lawsuit by YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream subscribers alleging Disney used its ownership of ESPN and Hulu to inflate streaming prices, covering the period from April 2019 to March 2026. The same records list total funding of $683 million, with the last round dated August 2016.

Earlier Hulu Releases in November 2026

Hulu released The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County for the weekend of November 13, 2026, Decider reported. Tom's Guide reported that Hulu released three new shows from November 13 to 15, including the reality show The Mob, the Korean melodrama Between Steps and season two of The Lowdown. Screenrant reported that Hulu greenlit a new series, Gaijin, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, which is in active development.

What Comes Next in the Mortensen Case

ABC4 Utah reported that it was working to contact Hulu and the other involved parties for comment and would update its article with any statements received. Mortensen's requested damages are to be determined in a jury trial.