Note: This story contains spoilers from “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” Season 5.
“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” did not shy away from their own scandals, placing Taylor Frankie Paul’s “Bachelorette” fallout front and center for Season 5.
The Hulu reality series was put on a production pause this spring following a domestical dispute between Paul and her ex Dakota Mortensen. Season 5, however, brings viewers back to the day that Paul returned from filming her now-shelved season of “The Bachelorette.”
Look below for how “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” handled the “Bachelorette fallout
Spoiler alert
Paul and the other #MomTok members were candid about what they filmed for the ABC dating show. Jessi Draper, Mayci Neeley and Mikayla Matthews all met the top three picks. The women agreed that Shane and Lew were Paul’s healthier options and noticed similar toxic patterns with Doug. Her mom was also not a fan of Doug and felt like he was opportunistic.
Paul revealed that she and Doug were engaged when she left the show and even told her friends that they got together in the Fantasy Suites. Doug does not appear in the Hulu reality series.
The reality star did slip into past toxic patterns with her ex and baby daddy and shared that she and Mortensen slept together the night she returned to Utah from “The Bachelorette.” Last season she slept with him the night before she left to film the series. Paul added that it was not a one-time situation and that they had gotten together at least three times since she returned.
Paul said that she broke off her engagement with Doug before reuniting with him in the “Happy Couple” AirBnb, a private getaway ABC plans for “The Bachelorette” winners while they wait for the show to air.
Despite “Mormon Wives” spoiling the outcome of Paul’s season “The Bachelorette” season being spoiled already, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap a decision on airing the season has still not been made.
Another suitor
On top of it all, Paul said that she was actually in love with another man. Not Mortensen or Doug or any of the other “Bachelorette” contestants. But Ben Lambert. You may remember him from his brief appearance on Season 4 of the reality series. He was the musician Paul hit on on a TikTok Live and later met up with in Utah.
Ben shows up several times in Season 5 and even meets Paul in secret when she watches Whitney Leavitt’s Broadway debut in New York City. As he leaves their penthouse suite in Manhattan, Paul ultimately breaks it off because she said she’s not ready for a relationship and he was ready to make her his wife.
Old patterns, new wounds
After Ben is out of the picture, Mortensen makes his way back. Some of her friends share that Paul had texted Mortensen videos of her having sex while he was in a relationship with another woman. Mortensen then broke it off with his short-term girlfriend.
Paul’s friends, specifically Draper, Neeley and Matthews, pressed Paul on why she kept returning to her toxic ex and pushed her to stand her ground. This led to a blowout fight in which Matthews accused Paul of projecting her insecurities on them.
“I don’t know when our show turned from women empowerment to Jerry Springer on the street,” Matthews said.
The trio also expressed that they were tired of the show providing a complimentary edit to Paul and saw no choice but to give her tough love.
Season 5 concludes at a housewarming party at Draper’s new spot. Paul confronts Neeley and Matthews for not reaching out and brings several others in to discuss the realities of their crumbling friendships. Paul ultimately leaves the house and breaks down on Draper’s front steps, crying in Neeley’s arms.
“I’m mean to everyone around me and it sucks it’s eating me alive and all the things I’ve done,” Paul said between tears.
A week after the incident all of MomTok gathered to film, but Paul did not show up because she was “dealing with Dakota.” Neeley called Paul to get the story directly, and she shared that Mortensen had a friend call CPS on her.
Paul claimed that her ex “told some lies” that she screamed in her son Ever’s face while she was driving on the highway and punched herself to make it look like he punched her. Paul said that Ever was never in the car.
Paul also admitted then, before the 2023 domestic violence video resurfaced, that she was worried because Mortensen had filmed her before when she was in a rage. Sure enough a video leaked of the 2023 fight that led to Paul’s arrest just a week before her season of “The Bachelorette” was set to air.
To be continued
Production paused on the season after that phone call. Several of the women filmed confessional interviews two months after the production pause, but they did not share if Paul will return for Season 6.
“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has already been renewed for 20 more episodes. Hulu has not confirmed which cast members will return but Layla Taylor and Paul have shared that they are actively filming for Season 6 on social media. MomTok stars Draper, Jen Affleck, Miranda Hope, Matthews and Neeley may return for Season 6.
“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” Season 5 is now streaming on Hulu.
