Family Feud Escalates: Taylor Frankie Paul's Mother Blasts Ex-Husband Tate Amid Bitter Custody Battle

The family drama surrounding TikTok sensation and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul has spilled into the public eye once again. This time, her mother, Liann May, has stepped into the fray to fiercely defend her daughter in an ongoing custody battle. May took to social media to blast Taylor’s ex-husband, Tate Paul, accusing him of intentionally withholding their two young children, Ocean and Indy, from their mother. The public outcry marks a sharp escalation in the friction between the former spouses, who divorced in 2022.

In her social media posts, May did not hold back her frustration, directly targeting Tate for what she characterized as manipulative and harmful co-parenting tactics. May argued that Tate is actively trying to sever the maternal bond, claiming he "knows darn well" that Taylor is a dedicated mother who deserves to be in her children's lives. May's public defense of her daughter urged followers to look past the tabloid headlines and recognize the emotional toll the custody dispute is taking on the children.

The legal and personal battle comes after a highly turbulent period for the reality TV star. Following her split from Tate—which was triggered by a viral "soft-swinging" scandal that shocked the Utah influencer community—Taylor’s personal life remained under intense public scrutiny. This culminated in a February 2023 arrest following a domestic dispute involving her current partner, Dakota Mortensen, with whom she recently welcomed a newborn son. While Taylor subsequently resolved her legal issues and has spoken openly about her path to sobriety and mental wellness, sources suggest Tate has leveraged these past incidents in court to restrict her custody rights.

This family conflict unfolds just as Taylor’s professional life reaches a new peak with the success of the Hulu reality series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. While the show thrusts her past mistakes and ongoing redemption arc back into the entertainment spotlight, the high-stakes battle for her children remains a stark real-world challenge. Neither Taylor nor Tate has issued an official statement regarding May’s social media comments, but the public intervention by Taylor's mother underscores the deeply entrenched divide as the family continues to navigate co-parenting under the lens of reality television fame.