Dakota Mortensen will no longer appear in season 3 of Vanderpump Villa.
Mortensen, 33, has been edited out of the upcoming Hulu season as he remains involved in an ongoing domestic violence investigation with ex-girlfriend Taylor Frankie Paul.
The series premieres April 16, but executive producer and star Lisa Vanderpump said Mortensen’s removal has not changed the season.
“He didn’t really have a big storyline,” Vanderpump told PEOPLE. “It hasn’t affected the story.”
Vanderpump explained that Mortensen originally appeared in a brief plotline involving another cast member, but producers scaled it back after controversy over the investigation.
“We don’t want to shine a spotlight on something that’s been so controversial when we have so much great content,” she said.
Mortensen first gained attention through his relationship with Paul, who stars on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The pair share a 2-year-old son.
Last month, police in Utah confirmed that Mortensen and Paul are both subjects in an open domestic assault investigation. Authorities said allegations had been made “in both directions.”
Vanderpump, who rose to fame on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills before launching Vanderpump Rules, said the new season remains full of “humor” and “great entertainment.”
