Cast members of Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” told ABC executives in a meeting earlier this month that they were concerned about continuing the show if “MomTok” founder Taylor Frankie Paul remained involved, according to audio obtained by NBC News.
The approximately 30-minute Zoom meeting took place on March 7, following an incident involving Paul and his recurring partner, Dakota Mortensen. A spokesperson for the Draper Police Department in Utah said earlier this week that there was an “open domestic assault investigation” into Paul and Mortensen starting in February.
During the call, the “Mormon Wives” stars expressed concerns about the the future of their careerthe branding of the series and the allegations surrounding Paul and Mortensen. They also discussed alleged abuse involving Paul, who has three children, including one with Mortensen.
In 2023, Paul was charged with assault, criminal mischief and domestic violence in the presence of a child, according to Salt Lake County sheriff’s records. The arrest stems from allegations of a separate domestic violence dispute with Mortensen in 2023, which was part of the storyline of the first season of “Mormon Wives.” Court records indicate Paul entered a pending guilty plea to an aggravated assault charge in August 2025, and the other four charges were dismissed with prejudice.
One cast member said he didn’t feel comfortable filming while Paul was under investigation.
“It’s a dangerous situation, it’s a sad situation, and we don’t know how to deal with it, because Taylor is our friend,” the actor told ABC executives during the virtual meeting.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, “the purpose of the March 7 Zoom was to tell the cast of ‘The Secret Life of Mormon Wives’ that we care about their safety and that they should not feel obligated to do press or film the show.”
“The production company hired a seasoned law firm to conduct an investigation into the competing and conflicting allegations Taylor and Dakota had against each other,” the source added, “and it would have been inappropriate to engage in any dialogue regarding an ongoing investigation.”
Three Disney executives were present at the March meeting, including Rob Mills, executive vice president of unscripted and alternative entertainment at Walt Disney Television, the person who shared the recording said.
Cast members reported on Paul’s alleged behavior during the reunion, according to the audio. Mills said on the call: “I don’t know much and I don’t want to know too much either.”
Mills could not speak about the investigation, the source with knowledge of the situation said.
“It’s not me burying my head in the sand, but it’s not me – you know, I don’t want to look into it, because I don’t know what that feels like,” Mills later said.
Several cast members repeatedly referenced “distressing” and “upsetting” video recordings of Paul’s alleged conduct, but did not detail their contents or play them during the call.
One cast member called it “concerning” that no one at Disney or Hulu seemed to want to know what was in the videos.
Hulu executives traveled to Utah to see the movie “Mormon Wives” during season five, and while there, they “attended” discussions about domestic violence, NBC News previously reported.
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ABC Cancels ‘Bachelorette’ Over Taylor Frankie Paul Video
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THURSDAY, TMZ posted a video which appears to have been recorded by Mortensen and shows Paul pushing and kicking Mortensen as he repeatedly asks him to stop, saying, “let me go.”
The recording, which does not capture what led to the interaction, allegedly shows an incident for which Paul was arrested in 2023, according to TMZ.
Paul is also seen throwing three bar stools at Mortensen. Shortly after the stool was thrown, his daughter, who was nearby on the couch during the fight, can be heard crying.
“It’s called physical violence,” Mortensen said in the video. When Paul starts throwing the stools at Mortensen, he can be heard saying, “Your daughter is here.”
The video is mentioned in the 2023 indictment against Paulwhich notes that Mortensen had “redness and swelling around his eyes, swelling to his elbow, scratches to his fingers and a laceration to his neck” following the incident. The indictment also notes that in the video, Paul’s daughter is punched in the head while lying on the couch.
NBC News has not independently verified TMZ video and has not watched the original full video.
A spokesperson for Paul told NBC News on Thursday, after TMZ published the video, that the recording was the “final episode of [Mortensen’s] endless, desperate, attention-seeking and destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child.
At the reunion, a cast member asked Mills if he was “aware that she hurt a child?” He replied: “I don’t think it’s a good thing for us to go into it. »
During the meeting, Mills emphasized that the company “will never hide anything bad for the good of business.”
He encouraged the cast to voice their concerns about the series, but refused to promise that what they said wouldn’t be edited out during editing.
The actors also expressed concern that Paul was paid more than them, which Mills denied.
Ultimately, the cast agreed to suspend filming of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” until legal action was filed, according to the audio recording.
Paul was poised to be in the spotlight as the lead on ABC’s “The Bachelorette” this season, but the network unplugged the plug THURSDAY.
“In light of the new video that was just released today, we have made the decision not to move forward with the new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ at this time, and our goal is to support the family,” Disney said in its statement regarding the decision.
There are currently no public allegations against Mortensen.
Following the announcement of the annulment, a spokesperson for Paul said she was “strengthening to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure she and her children are protected from further harm.”
“There are too many women suffering in silence as they survive aggressive and jealous ex-partners who refuse to let them move on with their lives,” the spokesperson said. “Taylor has remained silent out of fear of further abuse, retaliation and public shame. She is currently exploring all of her options, seeking support and preparing to own and share her story.”
Mills did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.
Disney representatives declined to provide additional statements on the matter.
Several authorities have looked into the allegations.
The West Jordan Police Department in Utah confirmed to NBC News on Wednesday that the department received an allegation of domestic violence via phone call involving Paul, but declined to provide details about the allegation or any potential charges. They also did not know the exact date or time of the reported incident.
A police department spokesperson said detectives were working to establish the facts of the case.
The Draper Police Department in Utah told People earlier this week that there was an “open domestic assault investigation” regarding Paul and Mortensen and that “allegations had been made both ways.” The police spokesperson said that “contacts were made with the parties involved on [Feb] 24th and 25th.”
Contacted by NBC News on Monday, the police department declined to confirm reports of a domestic dispute, saying its practice was “not to release details related to ongoing investigations.”
On Thursday, Mortensen, through his attorney, requested a protection order against Paul. The case was remanded for correction and amended motion, according to Salt Lake County District Court records.
During the meeting, Mills suggested “staying close” to the cast as the investigation unfolded to continue the conversation about the future of “Mormon Wives.”
“I want to keep this going, and I want everyone to continue to be successful, both with this series and beyond,” Mills told those in attendance. “But I really think navigating this and taking care of each other is the most important thing right now.”
