‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Star Taylor Frankie Paul Talks Hitting ‘Rock Bottom’ After Swinging Scandal, Arrest (Exclusive)

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul has nothing but gratitude looking back at her experience hitting “rock bottom.” Ahead of the Friday, Sept. 6 premiere of Hulu’s new buzzy show, Paul opened up to PopCulture.com about finding her way again after MomTok’s “soft swinging” scandal and her February 2023 arrest – much of which will play out on viewers’ screens. 

MomTok made headlines in 2022 when the group of Utah-based Mormon TikTokers became embroiled in a “soft swinging” scandal exposed by Paul amid her divorce from her ex-husband. While Paul never named her friends who were involved in the swinging, she has denied any of her fellow Secret Lives co-stars – who include Mayci Neely, Whitney Leavitt, Layla Taylor, Demi Engemann, Mikayla Matthews, Jen Affleck and Jessi Ngatikaura – were involved.

Paul then made headlines again after she was arrested in February 2023 on domestic violence charges after a fight with her boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. She pleaded guilty in September 2023 to aggravated assault. 

“Honestly, I felt like a lot of it was a major learning lesson,” Paul told PopCulture of looking back on the past two tumultuous years. “However, I’m so grateful because I think I’ve matured from it [and become] more wise and empathetic towards others. I feel like I needed to go through some s-t in order to understand where people are coming from in any situation like divorce or embarrassment, loss, hitting rock bottom.”

She continued, “I mean, look, it’s okay. I’ve been there … [and] if you haven’t been through those types of things or been at rock bottom, then it’s hard to relate and sympathize with [someone]. So I feel like I’m glad I went through that so I can maybe one day help someone else.”

It was challenging, however, dealing with all the “resentment” Paul thinks some of her fellow MomTokers, including Leavitt and Engemann, had against her stemming from the initial scandal. “[The resentment] built and built and I felt like it was released on the show,” Paul teased, adding that she’s not shocked things “eventually just blow up” after festering for two years. “

Despite all the drama heading her way this season, Paul hopes viewers “see a more genuine side” to her that she doesn’t show on social media. “I’m nicer and more genuine,” she insisted. “I think I show very little of myself [on social media]. And so this was the perfect opportunity, I think, to show more of me … just a deeper level of myself.”

All 8 episodes of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives will be available Sept. 6 on Hulu.