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Taylor Frankie Paul Quits 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Amid Bullying Claims
Confirmed
In Short: Taylor Frankie Paul has quit the reality show 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' amid claims of bullying from her co-stars.
Taylor Frankie Paul, a star of the Hulu reality series 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,' announced on social media that she no longer desires to continue with the show due to ongoing bullying from her co-stars.
Paul revealed that she had been subjected to bullying for months and accused her co-stars of turning against her despite knowing what she had endured.
The drama surrounding Paul's departure comes after she was set to return for Season 6 of the show, following a tumultuous year marked by legal battles and custody disputes.
Paul stated that she had initially agreed to be removed from the show to reduce stress for the remaining cast members, and she is now back to that position.
In her Instagram post, Paul expressed gratitude to the production and crew for their support during her legal issues, but she also criticized the cast for their behavior.
Paul's decision to leave the show follows a series of controversies, including her suspension from 'The Bachelorette' after a domestic incident involving her ex-partner, Dakota Mortensen.
The show's fifth season premiered on September 10 but was cut short to five episodes due to production hiatuses caused by Paul's legal issues.
Paul's custody battles with Mortensen and her ex-husband, Tate Paul, have been ongoing, with recent reports suggesting she failed multiple court-ordered drug tests.
Due to these issues, Paul's parenting time with her children has been reduced to eight hours per week.
Layla Taylor, a fellow cast member, expressed her support for Matthews, acknowledging the difficult situation for everyone involved.
Paul's decision to leave the show comes as Season 6 is currently in production, with filming reportedly taking place in Italy.
The show's future remains uncertain, with Matthews' departure and Paul's apparent exit potentially reshaping the cast for the upcoming season.
What this adds
Paul's departure adds another layer of drama to the ongoing conflicts within the cast of 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Background
Mikayla Matthews has quit the reality show 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' due to ongoing conflicts with co-star Taylor Frankie Paul.
What's confirmed
- Taylor Frankie Paul revealed that she has no “desire to move forward” with reality series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Monday.
- In a post on Instagram, Paul wrote that her “gratitude goes out to all the networks that supported me throughout this and gave me the chance to return,” following her legal battles with her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen and her ex-husband Tate Paul.
- I agree it’s to the point of bullying for months now.
- Paul became a breakout reality star alongside Whitney Leavitt and other members of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” cast when the show began in 2024.
- Taylor Frankie Paul appears in Third District Court for a hearing regarding protective orders between her and her former partner Dakota Mortensen in Salt Lake City, Thursday, April 30, 2026. (Bethany Baker/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool) In addition to those issues and claims she made in her Instagram post, Paul also reportedly failed a recent drug test ordered by a Utah court related to those custody battles, according to TMZ.
- Paul says she’s experienced “bullying” for the past several months and says the production and crew have been supportive to her.
- But Paul’s career has faltered this year after video was released of her throwing a barstool at her ex, Dakota Mortensen, during a domestic violence incident from a few years ago.
- The video also caused ABC to cancel Paul’s season of “The Bachelorette.” Paul has been embroiled in custody battles with Mortensen, with whom she shares one son, and her ex-husband Tate Paul, with whom she shares a son and a daughter.
- Due to multiple failures over the past 60 days, Paul is restricted to 8 hours of parenting time each week, per the outlet.
- Paul does appear in the current season of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” streaming now on Hulu.
- Taylor Frankie Paul has indicated she’s stepping away from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, just weeks after it was reported she would return for Season 6 of the Hulu reality series.
What's still developing
- “I told them before agreeing to do [Season] 6 that I wasn’t going to film if that certain someone came back because it’s UNETHICAL and kids are involved.” Cast members Mayci Neeley and Layla Taylor seemed to support Matthews.
- “However I don’t desire to move forward like this. I originally was willing to be removed to let them all continue on with less stress and I’m back to that point,” Paul said of her Secret Lives of Mormon Wives castmates.
- “Some of the girls know what I’ve been through and then to turn and collectively pile on with their ‘statements’ knowing there has been ongoing abuse through the system the last 8 months on top of what I’ve endured. Almost the entire cast plus some, going at me….laughing about my kids is disgusting,” Paul continued.
- “It’s not true. That being said there are some things that are true as well. I’d like to give my piece of mind on it all,” Paul said.
- In July, Paul spoke out following reports of a petition filed by Utah’s Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) asking a court to find that her three children are “abused, neglected or dependent.” In the petition, obtained by People and TMZ, DCFS asked a court to order protective supervision and appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the children.
- The following month, Taylor and Dakota were ordered to stay at least 100 feet away from each other for three years, while the existing custody arrangement for Ever remained in place.
- I’m grateful I never followed through with their requests of demands and I’m grateful I kept same pay out of fairness and integrity.” Taylor wrote, “I treated production and crew with respect always, in fact they are ones who checked on me throughout this.
- Paul also insinuated that her fellow cast members told her to demand more pay, as her “voice was the only one that can make it happen and then they would work” from her demands.
- Another incident came to light in March, prompting the show to pause filming for a few weeks before continuing.
- Amid the police investigation, TMZ published leaked footage of a separate physical altercation from 2023 in which Paul is seen kicking Mortensen and throwing metal barstools at him, prompting ABC to pull the show just three days before its scheduled premiere.
- In July, Paul voluntarily checked into a rehab facility following months of public fallout stemming from a now-closed police investigation into an alleged domestic abuse incident involving Mortensen.
- When announcing her decision to leave the show, Paul took a moment to address her rocky relationships with the cast.