Season 3 of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives may be over, but Dakota Mortensen is still clearing the air after fans questioned his behavior during the emotional reunion special. The 32-year-old took to Instagram on December 9 to push back against the rumors — especially the claims that he was high or had relapsed while filming.
“Obviously, the reunion thing was a s*** show. I think more whenever I see videos circulating of me claiming that I’m high or I relapsed,” Dakota began in his video. “There’s very few things that I feel proud of when it comes to myself, and I think one of those is being Ever’s dad and my recovery.”
Viewers have watched Dakota and Taylor Frankie Paul try to co-parent their 20-month-old son, Ever, following their 2024 breakup. But their already-strained dynamic hit another level during the December 4 reunion, where Taylor and her parents confronted Dakota after an alleged inappropriate relationship with a family friend.
Despite how chaotic the taping looked from the outside, Dakota said his sobriety has never wavered — even if people assumed otherwise. “For me, I am proud of myself because I have stayed sober through some of the most hardest s*** I’ve ever been through in my entire life. Even in that situation or that setting,” he said. “That is why it’s so hard on me. I am actually facing a lot of those situations and settings sober for the first time ever in my life.”
He described the intense pressure he felt while cameras rolled. “My body is in full fight or flight mode the entire time,” he added. “I’ve been sober this whole time and apparently, to everybody else in the world, I’m not, and honestly, it hurts.”
Dakota also pushed back on several behind-the-scenes accusations online — including claims that he had reunion-stage “power” or advance knowledge that Taylor’s parents would appear. He said he had neither, calling the moment “blindside, blindside, blindside, blindside.”
“I didn’t even want to go,” he admitted. “I also had a cease and desist so when you see me stuttering trying to explain stuff, my bad. I’ve never had one of those in my life. I’m petrified. I don’t know s***. I’m sitting here, scared to death to say anything.”
While he didn’t reveal who sent the legal notice, Dakota did receive support from fellow creators. “Proud of you brother!” Zac Affleck commented, while Chase McWhorter praised him for overcoming “one of the hardest things possible.”
Before wrapping his video, Dakota thanked those who reached out with kindness rather than criticism. “I’m super thankful for all the people that checked in on me and made sure that I was OK and didn’t continue to just be bullies,” he said. “I hope you guys never go through something really hard because I promise you I will never actually do what you guys have done to me, ever. When you’re down, I’m not going to s*** on you when you’re down even if I don’t like you.”
