'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' season three reunion. Disney/Fred Hayes Logo text The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast have been sharing their thoughts on the recent controversy surrounding Taylor Frankie Paul.
The ongoing news cycle circulating the series caught fire last Monday, March 16, when it was revealed that production on the Hulu hit was paused amid an ongoing domestic assault investigation involving The Bachelorette star and her ex, Dakota Mortensen. This marked the second alleged incident between the two former romantic partners.
On Thursday, a video of the events leading up to Taylor’s 2023 arrest was leaked, showing the reality star throwing barstools at Dakota while her daughter was present. Hours later, ABC decided to pull season 22 of The Bachelorette, three days before its scheduled March 22 premiere.
Following the decision, a spokesperson for Taylor shared a statement with The Hollywood Reporter, which reads, “Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security. After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”
“There are too many women who are suffering in silence as they survive aggressive, jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives,” the statement continued. “Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation, and public shaming. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.”
ABC may face a $30 million loss if the season never sees the light of day, but so far, no official decisions on how The Bachelorette will move forward have been announced.
And on Wednesday, NBC News reported that Taylor is under investigation for an alleged third domestic violence incident, also involving Dakota, stemming from a 2024 incident. Before that, on Friday, March 20, the outlet obtained audio of a Zoom call held on March 7 with the Mormon Wives cast and three Disney executives, where they voiced concerns of continuing the series with Taylor amid the investigation.
THR confirmed that Mormon Wives production launched their own investigation into the conflicting claims; that investigation remains ongoing, and Mormon Wives filming will remain paused until it concludes.
As the fate of Mormon Wives waits in the interim, the cast has begun publicly addressing the situation. Here’s everything that the cast has said so far about Taylor’s ongoing domestic violence controversy.
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Layla Taylor
Image Credit: Disney/Fred Hayes Logo text Layla Taylor was one of two women to speak out on Friday, March 20, a day after the leaked video of Taylor and Dakota’s 2023 domestic violence incident was published to TMZ.
“My personal history as a survivor makes it impossible for me to stay silent. I stand firmly against domestic violence in any form,” Layla wrote on her Instagram Story. “I am keeping her children in my thoughts, hoping for their safety above all else.”
On Sunday, March 22, a creator took to Instagram claiming that she believed one of the Mormon Wives cast members leaked the video to TMZ. Layla replied to one commenter speculating that she was the one who shared the footage, writing, “I saw the video when tmz [sic] posted it. I don’t know how I would have even gotten that. Same with Miranda my intentions with my statement was to share how the situation on both sides is something I don’t condone.”
