Hulu Pauses Production on 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Amid Taylor Frankie Paul's Assault Investigation

Patti GrecoFri, March 20, 2026 at 3:09 AM UTC

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(Courtesy of Hulu)

Taylor Frankie Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was just three days from its premiere when TMZ released leaked footage from a 2023 domestic violence incident, showing her attacking ex Dakota Mortensen with her daughter in the room. Within hours of the disturbing video appearing online, ABC canceled Season 22.

Related: What Will ABC Air in Place of ‘The Bachelorette?’

“In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,” a Disney Entertainment Television spokesperson said in a statement.

Paul later responded through her representative, saying that she’s been “silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation” and that she’s “currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story."

Whether that story will unfold on Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives remains unclear. Production on the Hulu series is currently paused, and the streamer has not announced a return date, leaving the show’s future very much in limbo. As scrutiny around Paul intensifies, the question now is whether Hulu will move forward with the series at all, or follow ABC’s lead and step back entirely.

Here’s where things stand currently with The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

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Is Hulu going to cancel The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives?

As of this writing, Hulu has not canceled The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. However, production on the show has been paused due to an open "domestic assault investigation” involving Paul and Mortensen, tied to alleged incidents on February 24 and 25. A spokesperson for the Draper City Police Department confirmed to People that "allegations have been made in both directions.”

According to MomTok member Mikayla Matthews, the decision to halt production came from the cast. “We didn’t feel comfortable filming with everything that was happening," she said during an Instagram Q&A on Thursday, March 19.

Since then, video from a 2023 domestic violence incident involving Taylor and Dakota—in which Taylor is seen throwing metal chairs at her ex, one of which struck her young daughter—has leaked, further complicating the show’s future. It’s the kind of “storyline” that would be difficult for both the cast to navigate and audiences to enjoy, after all, raising real questions about whether the series can—or should—continue in its current form.

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Related: Dakota Mortensen Breaks Silence on Leaked Video of Incident With Taylor Frankie Paul

Will Taylor Frankie Paul get fired from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives?

It’s possible the show could continue without Taylor—a scenario she seemed to acknowledge earlier this week.

Prior to ABC pulling The Bachelorette, the MomTok founder addressed the Mormon Wives hiatus on Good Morning America, saying she didn’t know how long the pause would last and that it was “hard to say” what her future on the show might look like.

“It’s hard to see past this, I’m not going to lie,” she said. “In this moment, it’s just so heavy.”

Related: Why Was Taylor Frankie Paul Arrested? Inside the ‘Bachelorette’ Star’s 2023 Assault Case

Meanwhile, People reported that the cast no longer wants to “be associated with her”—and that was before the 2023 video surfaced—suggesting there could be internal pressure for her exit if Hulu doesn’t make that decision outright.

Ultimately, the fate of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives may hinge on several factors: the outcome of the ongoing investigation, the willingness of the cast to continue and how Hulu chooses to respond to the growing backlash. Given that Hulu, like ABC, operates under the Disney umbrella, the network may ultimately decide that stepping away is the safest path forward.

For now, the series remains on pause.

Next: Shocking ‘Bachelorette’ Spoilers Reveal Who Taylor Picked — And What Happened After

This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”