Reality TV is both a blessing and a curse. It allows for an inside look into the lives and thought processes of influential people and provides all points of view when drama arises. However, reality television blurs the line between juicy drama and actual toxic behaviors. Also, the individuals that these shows portray are usually below-par role models. Recent allegations regarding stars from Love Island and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives highlight this very concern.
Although I personally do not watch these shows in full, they have been so ingrained in pop culture that I still end up hearing about them whether I want to or not. Love Island season 7 aired last summer, 2025, and remained a hot topic for the rest of the year. One of the show’s breakout stars, Huda Mustafa, gained a huge following due to her “relatable” outbursts and antics. She is most known for her crashout about fellow islander Jeremiah, as the two were paired together but had a falling out. Her reaction was a bit extreme, especially on a television show where the entire premise is to explore connections with various people. Although a polarizing figure, Huda did leave the show with a loyal fanbase who defended all of her actions.
More recently, as in the last few weeks, Huda has been in legal trouble regarding her new boyfriend and the mother of his child, who filed a restraining order against Huda. As soon as this allegation hit the internet, Huda and her fans denied the truth of the matter and deflected all blame away from Huda. It hit the fan, though, when screenshots of texts between Huda and her boyfriend, regarding his child and the mother, were released and Huda’s actions could no longer be denied. From the text messages, it’s clear that Huda was sending threatening, toxic, and disgusting messages that definitely do deserve a restraining order. Huda has not really acknowledged or taken responsibility for this, and part of the reason why is because her fans have been enabling this behavior from the beginning of her rise to fame.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has also been making headlines recently as season 5 of production was halted due to a recent altercation between cast members Taylor Frankie Paul and the father of her child, Dakota Mortensen. Very early on in the series, fans learned the backstory of Taylor and Dakota’s relationship, and that Taylor had already been arrested and pled guilty to domestic assault charges in 2023. Instead of leaving Dakota in 2023 after the first incident, she continued to go back to him and feed into this obviously toxic relationship, and the attention and validation from the public definitely didn’t help. Due to the most recent allegations, video evidence from the incident in 2023 that was never publicly released was obtained and publicized by TMZ, and the fallout was huge. The video footage was jarring and disturbing to viewers as one of Taylor’s children was in the room and was allegedly hit by a chair that was thrown by her. Taylor Frankie Paul was supposed to be the star of the 22nd season of The Bachelorette, but her season was canceled after the video came to light. Multiple sponsors of the show also pulled out from brand deals before the show was cancelled. Although Taylor and Dakota’s relationship is not fully understood by the public, and there is probably a lot that we don’t know about them, we can say that none of this would have happened if Taylor had just left Dakota.
Unfortunately for the stars of reality TV, drama sells, and interesting storylines and toxic behaviors will continue to be enabled by not only fans but also producers and writers. Dramatic headlines and juicy gossip will also always be prioritized over the mental and physical well-being of reality stars. Both Huda Mustafa and Taylor Frankie Paul probably would not be in hot water right now if their toxic behaviors had been called out and addressed originally. This is not to say that the men involved in both scenarios are innocent, but men’s behavior in reality TV is far less analyzed and talked about – which is a discussion for another time. However, toxic women in reality TV should not be normalized, and their behaviors should be recognized and addressed for the well-being of themselves but also for young girls watching.