Controversial Reality TV Show to Resume Production After Scandal

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives will resume production on Season 5 following an unplanned hiatus involving Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen.

Citing production sources, TMZ reported on Tuesday that the Hulu reality show will be picking up cameras as early as this week after being put on pause in mid-March following an alleged incident between Paul and Mortensen during filming.

Paul will reportedly be returning to Secret Lives of Mormon Wives “at some point,” TMZ confirmed, as she is not completely cutting ties with the show, but production sources indicated she remains focused on her children and family.

Filming for Season 5 was unexpectedly paused in March after two Utah police departments confirmed that there were separate domestic violence investigations opened into alleged altercations between Paul and her ex-boyfriend, Mortensen, with whom she shares 2-year-old son Ever.

Paul had previously been arrested in 2023 following an alleged domestic violence incident with Mortensen, in which she was accused of throwing chairs at her ex while her 5-year-old daughter was in the room.

Paul was arrested following the altercation and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, but a video of the incident that was published by TMZ in March brought the incident under renewed scrutiny and resulted in ABC calling off Paul’s season of The Bachelorette just days before its scheduled premiere.

On March 16, the Draper City Police Department confirmed that there was an open domestic assault investigation involving Paul and Mortensen stemming from late February, with allegations having been made in both directions.

Later that month, the West Jordan Police Department confirmed that there was a separate domestic violence case being investigated involving the two Hulu stars, with Mortensen submitting a video from “early-to-mid 2024” as part of his conversation with police, as per PEOPLE.

On April 14, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office announced that it would not be pursuing charges against Paul, writing in a press release that the cases had been reviewed by “multiple attorneys” because of the “high profile of the defendant.”

The DA’s office noted that several of the alleged incidents fell outside of the statue of limitations, as they took place more than two years ago, and other alleged incidents “do not rise to the level of criminal offenses” or lack “sufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges.”

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org​ or by texting “START” to 88788.