Dakota Mortensen

Mortensen became widely known through The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, where his on-again, off-again relationship with Taylor Frankie Paul became a major storyline. He first met Paul after moving to Utah and while he was six months sober. Their relationship was also shaped by a 2023 fight that led to Paul's arrest, followed by her guilty plea to aggravated assault.

Mortensen and Paul later rekindled their relationship during season three at the Stagecoach festival, but the reunion ended badly. He appeared as himself in 31 episodes of the series across its 2025-2026 credits.

Mortensen's first documented reality television appearance came in 2015, when he competed on the first season of NBC's The Island. The survival series placed 14 contestants on a deserted island and required them to fend for themselves.

Unlike many competition programs, The Island had no cash prize, winner, or eliminations. Mortensen later became better known for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, but the NBC program marked his early entry into reality television.

Mortensen began posting on TikTok in 2022, starting with a video titled "The only kind of love I want at this point." His self-titled account features conversational vlogs, comedy sketches, couples videos, and daily-routine content.

His couples skit "Okay maybe just a little" surpassed one million views. He has also built a professional life outside entertainment as a real estate agent and the owner of Basin Tiling, a company serving Idaho and Utah.

Mortensen has spoken publicly about an addiction that began during high school after he accepted unprescribed pain medication for knee pain during basketball practice. He later described progressing from opioid medication to heroin and fentanyl use.

He has also discussed breaking into cars to fund his addiction while working construction and other hard-labor jobs. During a podcast appearance, Mortensen said he had been sober for more than three years and has used his public platform to talk about recovery and resilience.

Mortensen and Taylor Frankie Paul welcomed a son, Ever True, in March 2024. Paul also has two older children with her former husband, Tate Paul.

Mortensen and Paul separated after their relationship's repeated breakups and reconciliations and made arrangements to coparent Ever. Mortensen has shared fatherhood-related content on social media, including videos with his son.