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the The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Taylor stars Frankie Paul and Michaela Matthews took photos of each other in a social media feud that has been going on for weeks, sparking confusion over what their disagreement means for the show.
Their online squabble has forced the cast of the reality series focusing on their personal lives to choose sides, with the conflict apparently sparking in the wake of the scandal that plagued Paul’s now-cancelled campaign. Bachelorette season.
The two reality stars traded shots at each other, though the major flare-up worsened when Matthews took to her Instagram Stories with a lengthy statement in which she addressed that she’s “setting boundaries” with Paul.
Matthews addressed subconsciously Bachelorette Lead’s tumultuous relationship with ex-husband Dakota Mortensen, which included a history of alleged domestic violence. In her statement, she compared her health, worsening skin, and Paul’s relationship with Mortensen, which prompted Paul to respond strongly.
From there, the two took to the comments sections and Instagram Stories, unfollowing each other on social media. There have been plenty of posts by both women, with drama pages like The Mormon Wives Report and Secret Lives HQ re-sharing each new update.
Season 5 of the Hulu series previously paused filming amid an alleged domestic violence incident in February with Paul and Mortensen. After this news broke in mid-March, NBC News reported Mormon wives The cast raised concerns about the show continuing with Paul amid the alleged incident, before ABC pulled its season Bachelorette off the air after a video of her throwing barstools at Mortensen from 2023 leaked online.
On April 21, Hulu finally revealed that production on season 5 is ramping up, though things are shaping up to look a lot different. Paul does not actively photograph Mormon wivesAlthough a source said Hollywood Reporter That the team behind the show wants her to come back when she’s ready. Meanwhile, Gene Affleck is filming a new spinoff based in Orange County, and Whitney Levitt is leaving the show.
It is not clear whether Affleck or Levitt have completed additional filming for the fifth season of the series Mormon wives; They along with the rest of the cast, including Paul, had already filmed the content before the show went on pause. Matthews, also before she and Paul started fighting online, was candid in sharing her journey around leaving Utah (where… Mormon wives It was initially based on healing her skin while she was suffering from a chronic illness.
Amidst her travels, it is not known if she is photographing. (Hulu declined to comment on Season 5 casting details.) That leaves Maisie Neely, Jessie Draper, Miranda Hope, and Lili Taylor as the rest of the cast. Mormon wives Who showed the public face of the series. But now Paul and Matthews’ feud has created a rift in the cast.
The quarrel between Mormon wives It took a darker turn when Paul reposted a video on TikTok shared by a content creator who claimed she didn’t understand how Matthews could “talk about and defend childhood SA while you’re actively married to your perpetrator.” On the show, Matthews was open about being abused as a child. The beginning of her relationship with husband Jess Terry has been discussed by fans online. Matthews was 16 when they met, and Terry was 21. She became pregnant less than a month after meeting him.
Draper, who is going through a messy divorce of her own, has publicly shown support for Paul, returning the favor. That support sparked a rift in her relationship with Matthews, who said Paul’s post and Draper’s continued support amid her statements was a contributing factor to the demise of their friendship.
Nellie expressed her frustration with Paul in online comment sections, which led to Paul unfollowing her. The constant back and forth proved difficult to keep up with. Will it have a negative impact on the series?
Mormon wives He has dealt with dark matters in the past. The series launched at the core of Paul’s domestic violence arrest in 2023, but the show was then nominated for an Emmy after its first year. It had a level of merit to back it up as Unscripted’s latest hit.
Will this hurt the tendency for women to showcase their struggle on social media rather than on screen? With so many major events happening since production was paused just a few months ago and the cameras weren’t rolling, there’s no telling how the producers will be able to cram all the wasted moments into just 10 episodes of television.
Paul and Matthews’ feud also touches on two very sensitive topics for both women; That domestic violence and sexual assault. Reality shows are supposed to be combative and dramatic, however The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives The cast may be crossing the line from which it can come back.
Ball clarified that she had not logged in offline, while Matthews still addressed the drama intermittently in the comments sections. Social media is the one thing that has connected #MomTok women Mormon wives It served as the basis for their presentation. Now it might be the only thing that can separate them.
THR She reached out to representatives for Paul, Matthews, Draper and Neeley, but had not received a response by press time.
