The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul is facing a new legal matter involving the welfare of her three children.

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

The agency also requested that the court place the children under protective supervision and appoint a guardian ad litem to represent their interests.

The petition was filed by the Utah Attorney General's Office on behalf of DCFS, and they also requested an expedited hearing.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 32, shares two-year-old son Ever True with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen. The pair has been fighting over custody of Ever in court for months now.

Taylor also welcomed daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul.

Taylor's attorney told TMZ, "It was recently decided that the ongoing custody actions would be best suited for juvenile court, a common step for families engaged in highly contentious, complex custody matters."

"Taylor is not deterred by this transition; she welcomes the added structure and oversight it provides and looks forward to continuing her progress toward normalizing custody and becoming the healthiest version of herself," the rep added.

"Taylor remains fully committed to doing whatever is necessary to reach that goal and will not be swayed from it. Taylor appreciates the professionalism of DCFS and its representatives."

In the filing obtained by People, DCFS representatives paid Taylor a home visit and discovered concerning behaviors -- including an incident in which Taylor "stormed out" of her house after "looking up messages on social media."

"The mother left DCFS alone in her residence, and DCFS had to lock up her home after she stormed out," the filing read, adding how there's been a "lack of progress in the child and family plan" since Taylor and Dakota's case was opened in April.

"The mother stated that she is being treated unfairly because of her 'status.' Furthermore, when DCFS suggested the families first program intervention, the mother became escalated and dysregulated. Ocean, who was in another room of the home coloring, heard his mother crying and told her, to 'take deep breaths' and that 'everything was going to be okay,'" the document stated.

Taylor's therapist also reportedly told DCFS that Taylor is not investing enough in her treatment.

Taylor allegedly "expressed frustration" when the therapist asked her to take their sessions more "seriously" because she's "busy with work."

In July, Taylor told Utah DCFS that she wanted a different therapist because she didn't feel sufficiently supported.

Taylor and Dakota had filed domestic violence allegations against one another in February, and they both proceeded to file for protective orders in March. (The orders were mutually granted for three years at the former couple's April 30 court appearance).

"The mother was unwilling to take accountability for her role in the domestic violence incident and continued to blame Mr. Mortensen for his role in the incident," the filing read.

"The mother did not see how any of the concerns are impacting her children and was focused solely on how things are impacting her."

A source close to Taylor told the magazine that "the other side" is leaking private information about her kids, which is not protecting them.

"It speaks to the motivations here -- someone is clearly acting in their own interest, not the children's," the source said.

"This report also leaves out DCFS's documented concerns about the other side, which are on record in district court and with law enforcement. The juvenile court will weigh all of that in full."

The Utah DCFS petition was reportedly filed only days after Taylor was granted a stalking injunction against Dakota's roommate, Cru Eaton.

The judge's ruling came after Cru posted a video on July 9 of Dakota -- who was behind the camera -- trying to catch Taylor behaving poorly, all the while calling her abusive.

Taylor recently had a brief rehab stint after Tate had filed for a temporary restraining order against her in late June. However, a judge rejected Tate's request.

ABC announced its decision to cancel Taylor's The Bachelorette season on March 19, several days before it was scheduled to premiere, after a 2023 video leaked of Taylor verbally and physically attacking Dakota in front of her daughter.

Around that same time, Hulu halted production on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' fifth season, but cameras recently started rolling again.

Taylor was reportedly asked back only to film the intro credits.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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