Production for the fifth season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has not resumed following several scandals, as revealed by Chase McWhorter, ex-husband of Miranda McWhorter.
In a conversation on the April 7 episode of Harry Jowsey’s “Boyfriend Material” podcast, Chase, 30, mentioned that filming for the Hulu series has remained on hold since it was paused the previous month. He expressed uncertainty about when or if it will continue.
“It’s uncertain right now,” he stated. “I hope they do resume. The other women have many compelling stories that haven’t been explored. I believe it would be beneficial for the series, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
Reports from the previous month indicated that production was halted due to an alleged domestic dispute in February involving Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex Dakota Mortensen. Taylor’s co-star Mikayla Matthews shared that she and other MomTok members collectively decided not to film immediately after the incident.
“We all agreed on this decision,” Mikayla, 26, explained during a March Instagram Story Q&A. “We didn’t feel comfortable filming under the current circumstances.”
The Draper City Police Department in Utah confirmed to Us Weekly on March 16 that a “domestic assault investigation” is ongoing concerning the February incident involving Taylor, 31, and Dakota, 33. Allegations have been made against both parties.
The turbulent relationship between Taylor and Dakota has been a central theme on Mormon Wives, which debuted in September 2024, with its fourth season starting in March.
Following the news of the production pause, leaked footage emerged showing Taylor in a confrontation with Dakota during the 2023 incident leading to her arrest, a topic that was addressed in the first season of Mormon Wives. The video depicted Taylor hurling metal stools at Dakota while her daughter, Indy, now 8, was present. Taylor shares Indy and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul, and son Ever, 2, with Dakota.
In February 2023, Taylor was taken into police custody and charged with aggravated assault, two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, child abuse, and criminal mischief. Us reported in August that Taylor pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault, part of a plea agreement that dropped the other charges. If she complies with the terms for three years, the charge would be reduced to a misdemeanor.
After new footage of the incident was released online last month, ABC canceled Taylor’s participation in season 22 of The Bachelorette, just days before its scheduled premiere.
Meanwhile, Taylor’s co-star Jessi Draper was dealing with personal issues as her husband, Jordan Ngatikaura, filed for divorce on March 19 after they had separated earlier.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Jessi Ngatikaura comments on the production halt of season 5 amid Taylor Frankie Paul’s legal issues with ex Dakota Mortensen. TMZ and People reported on Monday, March 16, that the producers of the popular Hulu reality show ceased filming earlier this month following the alleged […]
“I ended things with him, so I anticipated it, but we agreed to handle it together, and he blindsided me by filing first to gain the headline,” Jessi, 33, revealed during a March interview on Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast. “We had planned to inform our children before filing, but that hasn’t happened yet.”
An insider later exclusively informed Us that Jessi had recently been seen getting close to Chase at a party.
“They were enjoying themselves at a party, and there’s nothing serious between them,” the insider stated in March.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
