Taylor Frankie Paul is officially returning to “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” for Season 6 with the backing of ABC and Disney, network insiders confirmed this week.
Paul, 30, learned she was invited back on Tuesday, according to sources close to the production, marking a significant reversal for the reality star whose career appeared in jeopardy after ABC canceled her “Bachelorette” season in March. The Utah-based influencer had been slated to headline Season 22 of the dating franchise before domestic abuse allegations surfaced and derailed those plans.
“ABC’s been great. They have total faith throughout. It’s been a very open line of communication with ABC, and they’ve been supportive throughout this process,” an insider said. The same source noted that Paul “has been working on herself” and “dealing with personal issues” since her 2023 arrest for domestic violence.
The March cancellation of “The Bachelorette” followed the emergence of video allegedly showing Paul hurling metal stools at her ex, Dakota Mortensen, during an incident witnessed by her now-8-year-old daughter, Indy. ABC subsequently pulled her season, and production on Season 5 of “SLOMW” was also paused.
Paul’s legal troubles have intersected with ongoing custody disputes involving both Mortensen and her other ex, Tate Paul, with whom she shares Indy and 6-year-old Ocean. She also shares 2-year-old son Ever with Mortensen. In July, she rejected custody proposals from both exes that would have limited her to 40 percent parenting time, with sources indicating she intends to keep fighting for greater access to her children.
The influencer addressed her completed probation last month on Instagram, marking three years since her arrest. “Three years probation complete,” she wrote. “All my PO’s said it was one of the longest probations they had seen for first time offense.”
She expanded on her experience in the same post, reflecting on her lack of awareness at the time of the incident. “Back then I wasn’t even aware of what DV was. Unfortunately many will experience it as many already have.”
Paul’s social media presence has remained active throughout the controversy, and she had previously hinted at her return to “SLOMW.” In July, she replied “Yes” to a fan who asked whether she would appear in Season 6. The show’s fifth season, which features Paul in its trailer, is now set to premiere on September 10 after its own production halt.
The reality star has framed her public struggle in defiant terms. “I don’t care if you see me as the villain or victim. This all surfacing the way it viciously and vindictively did, has been hell on earth and if I didn’t have the support I have I don’t think I would have made it through,” she wrote on Instagram.
She continued in the same post: “However those same people not only get to see they failed to destroy me, but they freed me.”
A source close to Paul revealed she has been in therapy throughout the ordeal and described her as “doing the best she can in the midst of all the hardships she’s going through.” The same source noted that “a handful of people who carried her through, including her family, friends and producers of the show” have formed her support network.
The path back to television has not been without friction among her castmates. Network insiders indicated there remains “a lot of hurt” within the “Mormon cast,” and Paul “doesn’t necessarily feel like she’s been supported by the women throughout the last few months.”
Representatives for both Paul and Disney declined to comment on her return, though the interpersonal tensions are expected to feature prominently when the series resumes. The show’s upcoming season will document the fallout from the domestic violence allegations, the custody battles, and Paul’s efforts to rebuild her public image while remaining in the spotlight that first elevated her to fame.
Season 5 of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” premieres September 10 on Hulu.