Oh, how the mighty have fallen, and heavy is the head that wears the crown.Â
To the general public, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives took Hulu by storm when it hit the streaming service in the fall of 2024. For those who are chronically online, however, they witnessed these Mormon mothers as part of MomTok on their phone screens. In my case, I knew Taylor Frankie Paul when she was part of the trio with Miranda Hope and Camille Munday.
The Taylor Frankie Paul I knew circa 2021, posted videos of hair wash days, her son who looked like Stefan Salvatore, about how her house was haunted, and the occasional dancing video with Miranda and Camille. When news broke of the swinging scandal, I watched the TikTok livestream unfold as Taylor disclosed the details of what happened. When I found out there would be a show about her and the rest of MomTok, I didn’t know what to expect.
In the last two years, the show has produced five seasons, with a sixth one currently in production. That is a rapid turnaround. It’s especially jarring when nothing seems to be a secret for these Mormon wives. With social media playing a large part in their livelihood and the overall world we live in, these women do not wait for their seasons to drop to discuss certain things.Â
Instead, the public gets the latest scoop in real time, such as Jessi Draper’s divorce along with her new boyfriend (courtesy of her Vanderpump Villa affair). We know that Layla Taylor has already moved on from her boyfriend Mason McWhorter — Miranda’s former brother-in-law — and is now with a woman. But this early access has a downside. These details that are meant to be jaw-dropping and anticipated no longer seem worth the wait or the watch.
The biggest glare of all, however, is the reign of Taylor Frankie Paul. The self-proclaimed leader and creator of MomTok, Taylor’s controversial nature has been labeled as “authentic,” “real,” and “vulnerable” by her fans. As it’s poked at in season five, Taylor’s fans think she can do no wrong, often praising her petty nature when things don’t go the way she thinks they should.Â
A big example is when she was invited to present at the Country Music Awards and posted that none of her friends had sent her messages of support. In the show, the conversation that unfolded between Paul and the rest of the women was utter confusion. Despite what she posted, her friends had been supportive that day through texts and calls, just not on social media. But the social media aspect is what Taylor cares about the most. She has a habit of acting out and apologizing even after doubling down on her actions, saying she stands by them regardless because that’s how she felt in the moment.
Behaviors like this become damaging and detrimental.
If the show hadn’t already drawn attention for the swinging scandal, it has definitely faced higher scrutiny and backlash in the past year because of Taylor’s relationship with her son’s father, Dakota Mortensen. While viewers knew since season one that Taylor had been arrested after an altercation with then-boyfriend Dakota, no one knew the gravity of the situation until March.Â
Right before her season of The Bachelorette was to premiere, a video was leaked to TMZ of the physical fight between her and Dakota. ABC immediately pulled her season, production of The Secret Lives halted, and the public weighed in on the video and Taylor as a person.
Since then, Taylor has been in a legal battle with Mortensen, and season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was dropped on September 10th. The season only contains five episodes instead of 10, showing Taylor’s return from The Bachelorette and the days leading up to the video leak. In the five episodes, viewers see the women fly to New York to celebrate Whitney Levitt’s Broadway debut, Jen Affleck’s marital strain, and Miranda’s struggle with her ex-husband Chase McWhorter.Â
These are but small eggs compared to the wasp’s nest displayed with Taylor. She comes back from The Bachelorette engaged, yet sleeping with ex Dakota and claiming to be in love with previous fling Ben Lambert. She smuggles Ben into her New York penthouse, calls off her engagement, and goes back and forth between how she feels about Dakota. Her friends are rightfully concerned, and it seems as though Taylor is aware that these are not healthy cycles but hasn’t found the motivation to break them. In turn, she feels backed into a corner with the other women, specifically Mayci Neeley and Mikayla Matthews.Â
Taylor repeatedly yells at these women about her situation and how no one understands her. At Jessi’s housewarming party, she asks each woman to recall and verify Mayci and Mikayla’s actions and conversations. She ultimately explodes and brings up Mayci’s relationship with an abusive ex, and crashes out when Mikayla asks why she treats people horribly, especially those who haven’t done anything directly to her. Taylor calls them names and says that they’re horrible friends. In the end, she is consoled by everyone, including Dakota.
If being a viewer is exhausting, I can only imagine what these women experience in person. That being said, in Hulu choosing to focus everything on Taylor, ineffectively relying on her, they are losing the plot of the rest of the women.Â
When the show began, yes, it was mainly because of Taylor’s swinging scandal. However, the women made it clear that the purpose of MomTok is to build and foster community. Empower each other and celebrate their successes. Hulu has chosen to veer way off from that.
The viewers yearn to see less of Taylor. With Whitney, Jen, and even Demi Lucy May leaving the show, viewers began wondering if they’ll survive as a show. To make matters worse, in the middle of production for season six, Mikayla announced she would be leaving due to the return of Taylor Paul. That’s another one gone.Â
And then, a few days after, in a shocking announcement, Taylor herself said she’s withdrawing from the show.
Macyi made a TikTok video detailing that a good chunk of her footage had been cut out, including clips detailing the success of her novel, Told You So, and its book tour. Mikayla had even surprised her at the first stop. Journeys like Mayci’s experiences with her ex, Mikayla’s working through her sexual trauma, and Layla’s eating disorder are all things the viewers would prefer to see. Real women, going through issues that are taboo or they know little about. Real women, creating success and achieving their dreams. All the while being surrounded by supportive spouses and the community of sisterhood built by their friendships.
I think MomTok should survive this. They’ve accomplished so much and have a true desire and passion for their lives and the women who they want to encourage to break molds. With that said, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives would greatly benefit from a break, and Hulu needs some serious time in the mirror for what is worth creating. Then, when the time is right, these pieces can come together and get back to what it set out to do: Women supporting women and breaking the patriarchy.