Dakota Mortensen’s roommate Cru Eaton is speaking out after Taylor Frankie Paul was granted a continued stalking injunction against him.
“It’s a bummer that the injunction didn’t get lifted because I believe I’m protected by the First Amendment,” Eaton exclusively told Us on Friday, August 14, following the ruling.
While Eaton said he could take additional legal action to challenge the injunction, he doesn’t currently intend to do so.
“I could file an expedited motion and request a different judge,” he said, claiming, “But honestly, I don’t care to post any more videos of Taylor, even though I do have more.”
Eaton added, “With that said, I’m glad I’m able to speak freely now.”
The comments come after a Utah judge granted Paul, 32, a continued stalking injunction against Eaton during a Friday court hearing. Paul initially sought legal protection after Eaton posted private footage of volatile arguments between her and Mortensen, 33, on July 9.
During the hearing, the judge found that Eaton posted the footage as a personal attack against Paul and said he had acted with knowledge of Paul’s vulnerability. Eaton was ordered to remove the videos.
Us verified that the videos of Paul have since been removed from Eaton’s TikTok, though a text exchange between Paul and Mortensen still remains.
Julie Theis and Cru Eaton Courtesy of Julie Theis
The legal dispute comes amid ongoing tension between Paul and Mortensen. The former couple was investigated by Utah’s Draper City Police Department earlier this year after both made domestic violence allegations against the other. Utah prosecutors ultimately declined to press criminal charges against either Paul or Mortensen in April.
Despite Eaton’s disappointment that the injunction was continued, he feels his involvement in the situation is over.
Eaton spoke out in defense of Mortensen, telling Us, “I helped him as I would want anybody to help me if I were in that same position.”
Eaton continued, “Everybody needs to move on with their lives as much as possible.”
Eaton made clear that while he plans to comply with the restrictions on posting videos, he doesn’t intend to stop speaking out when he believes his comments are warranted and even necessary.
“If something comes up or I need to speak, I’ll always speak the truth,” he reiterated.
Us has reached out to representatives for Paul for comment.
While Eaton remains committed to sharing his side of the story, his ex-girlfriend, Julie Theis, previously told Us that she believes Paul after having a one-on-one conversation with the reality star.
“What I had heard from them, it was all negative,” Theis, 32, exclusively told Us in July, noting that the claims she heard from Eaton and Mortensen painted a particular picture of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives alum — a picture she told Us she no longer believes is accurate.
Taylor Frankie Paul appears during a hearing regarding protective orders between Paul and Dakota Mortensen Getty Images
“I apologized to her right away,” Theis said of her conversation with Paul. “Obviously, all I had heard about [her] was negative things. I believe her. I saw myself in her. I saw every woman who’s been through a toxic, abusive relationship in her.”
Theis, a psychology-focused YouTube creator, met Eaton while filming the reality dating series Secrets & Soulmates in 2025. After the two began dating, Theis moved to Utah to give their relationship a chance, spending the next two months with Eaton and his roommate, Mortensen. During that time, she became part of the same MomTok social circle while Paul was away filming The Bachelorette.
On July 9, Theis posted a video criticizing Eaton and making several allegations about their relationship, including describing him as a toxic boyfriend and alleging that he was responsible for the death of her dog, Camilla.
“She called him a woman hater, woman abuser, dog killer, just a bunch of labels that are 1,000 percent false,” a source close to Eaton exclusively told Us.
The source claimed the pair’s relationship ultimately ended because of a “difference in values” and differing expectations about how quickly they would become official boyfriend and girlfriend. The source also disputed Theis’ allegations surrounding Camilla’s death.
Dakota Mortensen is continuing to share his side of the story amid the investigation into him and ex Taylor Frankie Paul. “As anyone who has seen the video will understand, this is a deeply upsetting situation,” Dakota, 33, tells Us Weekly in a Thursday, March 19, statement. “I am, unfortunately, used to these baseless claims about me […]
According to the source, when Eaton was running late to let Camilla out, Theis agreed to have a neighbor step in and let the dog out without a leash. Camilla escaped and was later struck by a vehicle. The source added that Eaton was not present at the time and was devastated by the loss.
Separate from her own relationship with Eaton, Theis told Us that her conversation with Paul changed the way she viewed the situation between Paul and Mortensen.”
“They are both coming from their own wounds, and they came together unhealed,” she said. “But I think Taylor has reacted, and she knows that. She hasn’t always made the right choices. But I think her breaking point has come from coercive control and being beat down.”
Us reached out to Paul for comment on Theis’ claims at the time. When reached by Us, Mortensen declined to comment. Eaton denied Theis’ claims exclusively to Us.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
