'Mormon Wives' star Dakota Mortensen and Shinia Powell go Instagram official

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Dakota Mortensen and Shinia Powell have taken their relationship to the next level.


Shinia, a 29-year-old social media influencer, made her relationship with Dakota Instagram official on Sunday, August 9.

Dakota, 33, and Shinia confirmed their romance in a carousel of photos that featured their recent camping trip.

Photos included Dakota and Shinia embracing inside a tent and kissing on top of a mountain.

"Soaking up our last bit of summer," Shinia captioned the post.


Shinia also uploaded photos of her daughter Sophia, 6, and son Beckham, 5, whom she shares with her ex-husband McKoy Allred, during the same camping trip.

Dakota teased on "The Rub Down" podcast on YouTube in January that he was "just dating one person" and things were going "really good, actually."

Dakota, however, didn't reveal the woman's identity during his podcast appearance.

Rumors Dakota was dating Shinia first sparked when Dakota had admitted to hooking up with her during an episode of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' fourth season.

In the clip, Dakota was talking to his estranged girlfriend, Taylor Frankie Paul, before she left to film The Bachelorette's 22nd season, which was supposed to premiere in March but was canceled after a 2023 video leaked of Taylor verbally and physically fighting with Dakota.


Sources close to Dakota and Shinia told People in late July that the pair were, in fact, dating.

"Shinia has been a steady source of support for Dakota through some incredibly difficult times, especially when he did not have immediate family nearby," the source explained, likely referencing Taylor and Dakota's ongoing custody dispute over their son, Ever True, 2.

"Their close friendship has naturally grown into something more, and they are enjoying their time together while thoughtfully navigating what that means for them and their children."

Taylor -- who also has two children with ex-husband Tate Paul -- and Dakota have been publicly feuding ever since they accused each other of domestic violence in February and subsequently filed dueling protective orders.

Utah's Division of Child and Family Services also filed a petition in July asking a juvenile court to determine that Taylor's three kids meet Utah's legal definition of "abused, neglected, or dependent" children, TMZ reported.


A source also told People that while Dakota and Shinia understood their relationship was going to inspire media headlines, "they respectfully ask that people remain mindful of their privacy and feelings as they work as a team to move forward in a healthy way within an already tumultuous environment."

According to the DCFS filing obtained by People, DCFS representatives visited Taylor at home and discovered concerning behaviors, including an incident in which Taylor "stormed out" of her house and "DCFS had to lock up her home" after she left.

In late July, Taylor reportedly rejected modified custody proposals from both Dakota and Tate.

Dakota and Shinia fueled dating speculation at the time when they were spotted looking cozy at The Ballpark at America First Square in South Jordan, UT, on July 23, according to TMZ.

TMZ obtained photos of Dakota putting his hand on Shinia's back as they watched a baseball game on the lawn. In another photo, Dakota snuggled up to Shinia on their picnic blanket.


Around the same time ABC pulled the plug on Taylor's The Bachelorette season, Hulu halted production on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' fifth season, but cameras recently started rolling again.

Hulu has also renewed The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives for a sixth season, although it remains to be seen whether Taylor and Dakota will be asked to participate.






About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski