The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Breaking News - Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen Custody Update! What Does This Mean For The Show?

Episode Date: June 2, 2026

Ashley covers the latest news on the custody battle with Taylor and Dakota!  Plus - who was Taylor recently FaceTime’ing with and what does it possibly mean???See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen to Weythian House on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts with IHartRadio. Hey guys, welcome back to the Almost Famous Podcast. Today I'm bringing you some breaking news in the custody battle with Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-baby daddy and complication, Dakota Mortensen.

So you guys got, you've gotten so many updates from us. But today they appeared in court again virtually. It's been like a monthly basis thing. And now we have good news. her and it keeps getting a little bit better every every month Taylor is now able to have she doesn't have to have supervised visits she gets regular visits with her child um this is their shared child ever he's two years old and she said um the judge said I'm encouraged I think we're moving in the right direction for now until the next hearing which is like July 8th she the judge says I'm going to

recommend supervision be lifted. So now Taylor is going to be getting her ever every other weekend and then one weekday midweek. That's not an overnight, but I guess she gets overnights during every other weekend. And then the judge said that I certainly think that both of them have a sense that they are the victims and not the perpetrators. And I get that. The main concern of the court is to prevent further acts of domestic violence and we can have the hope that we see the parents being in the same place getting along but now is not that time. So this is obviously good news, but it's just little by little like I said. And it's interesting because this is one day after Taylor had just opened up on Instagram how difficult co-parenting has been. She's also talked

about different projects that, you know, we're supposed to happen that aren't happening. Maybe like The Bachelorette. But we also have progress in that field with her because on Sunday, Taylor posted a FaceTime photo with her alleged winner, Doug Mason. And it's cute. Like her overlay said, surprise FaceTime from the boy. So maybe she's alluding that there is more people on the FaceTime than just Doug, you know, just in cases of her airs. But it's, he was with some other Bachelorette castmates in Vegas.

So I have Heather here to put in her two cents because it's always the best. Heather. Thanks for having me, Ashley. Anything to elaborate on? Well, first of all, I think that based on our last update with the court system and also, our legal expert, it seemed like this kind of hearing was bound to happen, right? It all seemed to kind of be moving in a positive way. And I, positive in Taylor's favor, I think. And I also think that the show has been talked about so much with the executives out during up fronts and things

like that. And everybody has still had that. The door is kind of still open mentality. And I don't think that they would have that and have been so open about the possibility of the show still airing if they didn't think that what we saw today in the court system was actually possible. I think had we come into court today and there was a whole different scenario playing out of, you know, we're still maintaining that the visitations have to be supervised. I really don't think that you're airing a TV show where your lead is having supervised visits with their child. So to me, to me, this is all like going back to write, you know, the possibility of the show airing in the summertime. If our next hearing is July 8th, which maybe that one will be, we can obviously get our legal expert on again. But I would assume that one is maybe to really finalize a custody situation because, again, this kind of still sounds temporary. She's still only getting every other weekend.

and one midday that's not a sleepover. So I feel like the next hearing will probably be more about a finite situation when it comes to custody. I also thought it was interesting that the judge recommended them to not be posting anything about one another on social. Okay. That is interesting.

Seems like a given being that they can't, they have to stay 100 feet away from each other for the next three years. And they also have to continue therapy. This was something that the judge said. Yeah, the social media thing, I would just say that like that kind of like goes hand in hand with them being like living separate lives, right?

Well, I think it's an interesting comment to make when we're only, I believe in the last like 48 hours or so, Taylor did post a bruised arm photo. That is up on TMZ. I can share that one with you. Oh, she posted on her own Instagram. Yes. And then they picked it up.

Correct. Taylor wrote, The psychological torture damaged me way more than the physical. And she captioned on an Instagram story on Wednesday, you eventually become a shell of a human, she said. This is hard to share because it's hard to come to terms with. The caption was written over a photo of what appeared to be Taylor's bare arm sporting a large bruise. It looked like the reality star had just gotten,

out of the shower after snapping the photo. It's unclear when the image was taken. Well, in that situation, like, it's not directly, it's alluding to him, but they're not talking. She's not talking about him, naming names. Correct, but. So it's hard to, like, get, like, use the law to do that when it's implying something.

Of course, but I think that it's an interesting thing for the judge to specifically say to not be making disparaging comments about one another in this, you know, time frame moving forward. And I'm sure that she's also got some people that are helping her in terms of, you know, what to post and what not to post, even though she is still being her very typical tailor self in her unfiltered, you know, commentary.

Going back to the, going back to the Doug Mason, a FaceTime post that she shared on Sunday. To me, I'm going to be a little cynical here. It all feels very timely. I don't think it's legit. I think it's for show. I think that it's interesting to post the day before your court hearing. Again, where it's positive.

It's like I feel like they're trying to create. And when I say they, I feel like it's the show. Oh, you think it's the show. Oh, yeah, because how much do we know about how the show is in terms of spoilers and cast members posting things that they're not supposed to? And like, they're just really on top of that kind of stuff. Okay, so this is my theory. I-Hart Radio is throwing it back.

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for their season to air so they i think everyone, perhaps. But like, I think that they're actually talking. And now the motivation behind getting back together or whatnot is debatable. But like, I think that they are the ones that are like screenshot. And then they're like, can we post it? I'm going to be more cynical in the sense that I don't think there's any romance happening behind the scenes. Oh, I wish, I just want there to be.

I think it's all fake. And I think it is purely. to drum up hype and interest for when they choose to drop the show. This is a huge win for Taylor today. So the fact, I have, I have zero doubts now in my mind

that the show is going to air. Now that this has been taken off the table, I think the show is going to air. I think it will air next month in July. I think maybe August, but okay. Okay. I think they'll announce in July that it's going to start airing in August.

August. Okay. And then I think it would take like the place that like perhaps Paradise would have had. Okay. And then it'll wrap up airing. Well, I mean, do you think it's going to be Hulu or ABC? I think Hulu. Okay. So either they're going to drop it in a binge or they can still do it like, you know, the three first episodes, which Hulu likes to do.

And then they do the rest and then it'll wrap up by like mid-September where people like get their regular scheduled programming starts again. I have no idea. This is something that I would actually love to know more about how a show makes money on the binge versus the dropping episodes sporadically. Not sporadically, but intentionally like three and three or whatnot, because there has to be a reason for that. The audience retention or something about it that they've realized when it comes to making money, I mean, they're going to do whatever is most lucrative. for them, whether that's the three or whether that's the whole season. I don't know if the Bachelor audience will take to a binge.

I would. I would like to experiment. Since this is a big experimentation right now, I think this is the time to experiment. So let's see. Let's see how that goes. If this actually happens, and I do want to now, I'm looking at these bruise pictures. I feel her on the desire to have released these because the whole month of March, she looked like it was all on her. She was the one that was physical. She was the abuser. And these bruises show that it was a two-way street.

And I couldn't help but put it out there for her. I think, listen, Taylor has really come back at people that have told her, especially in the month of May, she had a lot of people coming at her. saying to get off the internet, stop sharing, focus on your kid. And her response was, it is, it's mental health awareness month. I'm struggling and I'm going to keep sharing because that's, you know, if I can help one person, if it helps me, like, I'm going to keep doing it. And so in a lot of ways, I appreciate Taylor's authenticity.

Like, I think in a lot of ways, the show, the network have tried to mold her a little bit into something that she's not. And she has continued through all of this good, bad and ugly. She has really still tried to maintain what she is known for, which is doing things her way. At first, it seems like a mistake. And now as I talk to other people, she's getting more and more people like on her side to some, you know, I don't know if that's the right wording. But yeah, I mean, I think people are seeing both sides. How about that? Seeing both sides.

Exactly. That's perfectly put. Because I think at first, when those videos dropped, it was like, oh, how can I help but do anything but just... Absolutely. Only see that one side.

Yeah. So anyways, obviously, we'll continue to follow this. The next, you know, thing is going to be on July 8th. And, you know, we'll obviously keep an eye on her social media

and how much more she keeps posting with Doug, but I just thought, because they've definitely been going back and forth in the comments, too, on each other's things. He's been posting about music that he's dropping. He just moved to a new city a couple weeks ago. He did? Where'd he moved? Yeah. He moved from San Diego to Huntington Beach. You know all these things. I felt like he lived in L.A. No, he always lived in San Diego. Oh. Okay. And he was a lifeguard in San Diego. Yeah. I mean, life, I don't know. I don't know. Much that lifeguard stuff is legit. So just struggling musician? I think it's like he is a lifeguard and he is certified and can do that. But I don't think that's what's the focus. I think the focus, as from what he has DM'd me back in the past, it was acting and modeling. That's right, because don't forget, guys, Heather has cat, like he's been in the Rolodex for her passing. Yeah.

Yeah. So we'll see. And then Taylor, by the way, did close on her first house and has been working on, you know, turning that into a space. And so, you know, hopefully she's enjoying this chapter too and finding some light in it. I know she posted on Sunday about missing her son and that that's been difficult. And, you know, I understand that. But hopefully things are on the upswinging for everybody.

We haven't really gotten an update on Dakota and what's going on with him since he did the winter games. He's been pretty silent on social media. Well, he did say that he was going to take a step away. Correct. But I also did see a headline, don't come for me that I did not really dive into this, but I saw something like an executive said that the door is open for both of them to come back on Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, both of them. All right. Well, Heather, you are just full of knowledge.

You're full of knowledge. You just ramble about them forever. I got to really brush up. No, I just don't have a life, Ashley. You've got too much going on. You've got a real life. Oh, I love your pop culture life. All right. Well, until next time, which will be very soon.

I'm Ashley. And I've been Heather. Bye. Bye. Follow the Ben and Ashley I, I almost famous podcasts on Iheart radio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Number one hits, millions of records sold,

awards, sold out tours. You think that Jonas Brothers are satisfied? Nope, it's podcast time. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Hey, Jonas. is available now, and their first guest is a big one, Paul Rudd.

You know, Steve Carell is a great singer. Can you tell you not to audition the office or something? I told him. Whoa. We were filming Anchor, man. Clearly, I was the idiot. Thank God he didn't listen to him, right? Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

For years, the Un-House had been presented as a monolith in mainstream media. Weean-House is a podcast that's changing the narrative. I'm Theo Henderson, and I created the show why I was unhoused on the streets of Los Angeles. We've grown into a two-time Webby Award-winning podcast, the only podcast that shares unhoused stories and news from the unhoused perspective.

Listen to Wey and Housed on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Here's something that should not be as complicated as it is, getting a racist statue removed. And here's something that should be a whole lot, easier than it is. Getting a new one put up in its place. I'm Akila Hughes, and Rebel Spirit Season 2 is about both of those things. As I was watching these statues come down, I was thinking about what it meant that I grew up in a majority black city in which there were more

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