Dakota Mortensen again Shinya Powell fueled dating rumors after being spotted together at a baseball game.
I Secret Lives of Mormon Wives The star, 33, was photographed with Shinya on Thursday, July 23, at The Ballpark at America First Square in South Jordan, Utah.
In the photos, obtained by TMZ,Dakota was seen with his hand on Shinya's back as they watched the game on the grass. Suddenly, Dakota was relaxing on Shinya as she sat on a blanket in the grass.
The two were wearing cream-colored baseball caps in the snaps. Dakota is wearing a black t-shirt and khaki pants while Shinya is wearing jean shorts, high top sneakers and a silk top.
She took to social media on Thursday, sharing a photo with two of her friends – but didn't include Dakota in her caption.
Dakota and Shinya's outing comes after multiple outlets reported earlier this month that the two are dating amid Dakota's ongoing bond battle with her boyfriend. Taylor Frankie Paul.
After months of speculation, People reported on Wednesday, July 22, that Dakota and Shinya's “close friendship” grew “into something more” during difficult times with Taylor, 32, who she dated from 2022 to 2025. (The couple share a 2-year-old son, Ever, whom they welcomed in March 2024.)
Shinya Powell and Miranda McWhorter.
Courtesy of Shinya Powell/InstagramUs has reached out to Dakota's attorney for comment.
Rumors of the two dating have been raising a lot of eyebrows because Dakota previously received criticism from Taylor for hooking up with Shinya in season 4 SLOMW. (Shinia, on the other hand, made her Hulu original series debut as one of them Miranda McWhorterbest friends.)
“I just want to apologize for everything I've done. I know that caused a lot of trouble,” Dakota told Taylor during a season 4 FaceTime. “I apologize for contacting Shinya. Was it dumb of me? Yes. Did I choose someone else? Yes.”
The cast of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives seems to be choosing a side between Taylor's recent drama Frankie Paul and ex Dakota Mortensen. Miranda McWhorter and Layla Taylor shared on TikTok on Tuesday, June 17, themselves filming the content before Dakota entered the frame. The caption reads, “When you unexpectedly meet your friend's ex.” […]
Dakota, who has had a tumultuous relationship with Taylor, said she understands Taylor's situation as Shinya is in their group of friends.
“I chose someone who was obviously going to have problems, and that was ***y of me to do,” he added.
Meanwhile, Shinya and Dakota's reunion also caused problems for Miranda, 28, as she was put in the middle and felt forced to take sides between Shinya and Taylor.
Speculation about Dakota and Shinya's current romantic status comes as she and Taylor are fighting over custody of their son.
Dakota Mortensen and Taylor Frankie Paul.
Disney/Fred HayesEarlier this year, Dakota and Taylor were both granted restraining orders against each other after they were involved in a domestic dispute. Dakota was granted temporary custody of their son in March amid their legal troubles, but Taylor has gotten more parenting time with Ever.
On July 13, Utah's Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) filed a petition asking the juvenile court to find that Taylor's three children are “abused, neglected, or dependent” while requesting protective custody and the appointment of a guardian ad litem. (Taylor also shares daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 6, with ex-husband Father Paul.)
After the DCFS investigation, Taylor released a statement in support of the incoming agency.
“It has recently been determined that ongoing child custody proceedings would be better suited to the children's court, which is a common procedure for families with large, complex disputes,” the statement said. Us on July 16. “Taylor has not been deterred by this change; she welcomes the added structure and oversight it provides and looks forward to continuing her progress in ensuring routine maintenance and becoming the healthiest version of herself.”
Taylor Frankie Paul has reportedly accused Dakota Mortensen's ex-wife of secretly meeting girls through explosive text messages since 2025. The ongoing custody case between the former couple took another surprising step on Friday, July 10, when TMZ published text messages Paul, 32, reportedly sent to Mortensen, 33, in February 2025. […]
The statement concluded, “Taylor remains fully committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve that goal and will not be swayed from it. Taylor appreciates the professionalism of DCFS and its representatives.”
Dakota and Tate then issued a joint statement in response to Taylor's comments, telling Us that they are “deeply concerned that Taylor's statement minimizes the severity of the action brought by DCFS and its many underlying actions that led to it.”
In a July 17 statement, an attorney for the pair said both Dakota and Tate “share a deep concern that the family court system, law enforcement, prosecutors, and child welfare agencies need the meaningful collaboration necessary to understand the situation and act in a way that will protect the children.”
