Dakota Mortensen and Shinia Powell are dating, TMZ reports
The “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” stars reportedly began seeing each other months ago as Dakota’s custody fight with Taylor Frankie Paul continues.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Dakota Mortensen and Shinia Powell have taken their rumored connection off the rumor board and into real life, according to TMZ.
The outlet reports that the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” castmates began dating a few months ago, citing sources with direct knowledge. Those sources told TMZ the relationship is not exclusive, but the pair have been spending time together and enjoying where things are going.
A person close to the couple told TMZ that Powell has been a consistent support for Mortensen during a rough stretch, particularly when his immediate family was not close by.
According to TMZ, the friendship between Mortensen and Powell developed into a romance, and the two are working through what that means for their families.
Kids, cameras and plenty of attention
Mortensen shares 2-year-old son Ever with his ex, Taylor Frankie Paul. Powell has two children: a 6-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son, TMZ reports.
The couple knows the relationship will draw attention, according to TMZ. The outlet reports that Mortensen and Powell are asking for privacy while they work together to handle the situation in a healthy way.
Fan speculation had already been heating up. Powell recently posted an Instagram carousel from a trip to Arizona that included a photo with a man some viewers believed could be Mortensen, TMZ reports.
The post drew critical comments from fans who took issue with Powell being linked to Paul’s ex, according to TMZ.
The show already lit the fuse
Their history was a major plot point on Season 4 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” On the show, Paul learned about a past hookup between Mortensen and Powell, which triggered fallout inside the #MomTok circle.
By the season finale, Mortensen said he had also slept with Paul during that same period, leaving viewers without a clean answer on where things stood between him and Powell.
The new relationship report lands while the off-screen drama around Mortensen and Paul continues.
The custody fight continues
TMZ has previously reported that Mortensen and Paul are in a custody dispute over their son. The outlet also reported that the case intensified after Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services asked a court to declare Paul’s three children “abused, neglected or dependent.”
That petition is part of the legal proceedings, according to TMZ. The outlet’s reporting does not say that a court has made that declaration.
Mortensen, Powell and Paul are all public figures in the same reality TV orbit, which means the relationship news arrives with built-in scrutiny from viewers who watched the trio’s tensions play out on Hulu.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.