Why Did Taylor Frankie Paul Leave the Mormon Church? She Explains

After two years as a cast member on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Taylor Frankie Paul announced on April 5 that she will no longer be practicing the Mormon religion.

Paul took to her Instagram Story to confirm she is leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Her decision came after weeks of turmoil and controversy, which led to the cancellation of her season of The Bachelorette.

Despite her decision to leave Mormonism, Paul has remained dedicated to faith, writing on Instagram, “The last 40 days felt like hell on earth. Through every panic attack I prayed for strength as I could feel my body breaking down and out from the distress of it all. And HE sent just that in various ways along with so many undeniable signs saying ‘I am with you’ which I can’t wait to share that part.”

Scroll down for Paul’s explanation about why she decided to leave the Mormon church and what we know about the future of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

Why did Taylor Frankie Paul leave the Mormon church?

Paul explained that she wants to “detach” herself from the Mormon church because “there is more out there to learn.” However, she confirmed that she’ll always have “love and respect” towards LDS and will “continue to go” to the Mormon church with her family sometimes.

“I strongly believe in Christ, God, the bible, the divine,” she added. “I believe we are loved whether we are praying in church building or from a bathroom floor at home. I’ve also experienced grace and love from amazing people that aren’t sure what they believe if at all and that’s okay too.”

Is Taylor Frankie Paul leaving The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives?

Paul has not commented on her future with The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives following her decision to leave the Mormon church. However, weeks before she even made her declaration, production on the Hulu show was paused after the other cast members announced they did not want to film with Paul anymore amid a “domestic assault investigation” into her and ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.

“It was a decision all of us girls came up with and agreed upon,” Mikayla Matthews revealed. “We didn’t feel comfortable filming with everything that was happening.”

So far, none of the women seem to have changed their stance about not wanting to film with the mom of three. Paul has temporarily lost custody of her and Mortensen’s son, Ever, and Mortensen was granted a temporary protective order against her. They are due in court this month to discuss this matter, per TMZ.

Will The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives return for Season 5?

In November 2025, Hulu renewed The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives for an additional 20 episodes. Ten of those premiered in March 2026, with the remaining 10 (Season 5) set to be released at a later date. The cast was in the process of filming Season 5 when production shut down following Paul’s controversy.

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So far, Hulu has not commented on the future of the show or revealed whether the footage that’s already been filmed will be released. Production has not picked back up since the cast decided not to film amid Paul’s drama.

Amid all of this, People confirmed that a Mormon Wives spinoff is in the works in California. The new show will reportedly star Jen Affleck, who recently relocated to L.A., and nine other cast members.

If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.