Mormon Wives Season 5 Returns: Taylor and Dakota's Next Chapter Changes Everything

Quick update on the ever-messy, always-watchable Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: the show is firing cameras back up, and yes, Taylor Frankie Paul may still pop up in season 5. Maybe. The answer right now is basically: the door is open, but she is not rushing through it.

Where things stand with Taylor and season 5

Producers and the cast have told Taylor she is welcome to join filming this year as production resumes. Whether she actually shows up for season 5 is still up in the air, but people around the show expect her to return at some point down the line if not now.

The priority for her at the moment is family and mental health after the breakup with Dakota Mortensen. She has made it clear she wants to come back eventually; timing is the question. There have also been conversations about bumping her return to next season instead, and she has indicated she will be back when it makes sense.

Production pause, explained (without the headache)

Season 5 hit pause earlier this year after an alleged incident between Taylor and Dakota in February. Both of them filed temporary restraining orders against each other. In the short term, Dakota got custody of their 2-year-old son, Ever, and Taylor was granted supervised visitation. Authorities have since confirmed Taylor will not be charged over the February incident. Both Taylor and Dakota have continued posting public statements throughout.

The Dakota factor

One thing the network is firm on: Dakota will not be involved with the show going forward. The plan is to keep the two separate and not feed into a toxic dynamic. Honestly, that seems like the only sane path if the show wants to keep rolling without turning every scene into a courtroom reenactment.

Meanwhile, a curveball from another franchise

Last month, a video surfaced from a previous 2023 altercation between Taylor and Dakota. In the fallout, ABC yanked Taylor's Bachelorette season just days before it was supposed to premiere. That is a wild programming pivot by any measure, and yes, it raised a lot of eyebrows across reality TV-land.

What about Dancing With the Stars?

Despite the chatter, Taylor was not booked for the next season of DWTS. According to people in the know, there were no actual discussions about casting her there.

For the fans tracking every twist

• Production on Secret Lives of Mormon Wives resumed Tuesday, April 21, after the recent pause.
• Producers and cast are open to Taylor returning this season, but it might end up being next season.
• Taylor is currently prioritizing family and mental health following the breakup with Dakota.
• Dakota is out of the show moving forward; the network plans to keep them separate.
• No charges for Taylor related to the February incident; supervised visitation with her son continues for now.
• A 2023 altercation video resurfaced last month; ABC pulled Taylor's Bachelorette season days before premiere.
• No, she was not offered Dancing With the Stars.

Worth noting, because she said it herself

After reports claimed neither Taylor nor Dakota would be back for season 5, Taylor hopped on socials with a pointed response:

'Interesting, that's not the call I got.'

Big picture

Taylor has been a main cast member since the Hulu series launched in 2024, and her on-off relationship with Dakota has been one of the show's central storylines. With production back on and the show drawing a firmer line around what it will and won't film, expect a reset that keeps Taylor's eventual return possible without turning the season into a replay of recent headlines. When she comes back is still TBD, but the invitation is there.