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Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives gave us only five episodes—and an ending that wasn’t really an ending. I watched every episode, followed the off-screen reporting, and did the homework so you don’t have to.

I already gave Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen’s relationship its own deep dive. This time, I’m zooming out to recap the entire season and ask what these five episodes revealed about the women, the show, and the price of remaining part of MomTok.

We’re getting into Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt’s painfully awkward New York confrontation; Jen’s “pink back” reinvention, conflict with Zac, and move to the Orange County spinoff; Layla Taylor and Mason McWhorter’s breakup—and the expensive gifts that raised bigger questions about over-giving in relationships; Mikayla Matthews and Jace Terry’s separation; Miranda Hope’s co-parenting boundaries; and Mayci Neeley and Mikayla’s struggle to support Taylor without enabling a destructive cycle.

Then there’s the phone call that ends filming: Taylor tells the women that CPS has contacted her, alleges that Dakota and someone close to him are trying to ruin her life, and points to the extraordinary timing—just before promotional appearances for The Bachelorette were set to begin. I break down what Taylor claimed, what outside reporting has established, why production stopped, and what remains unverified—including recent reports alleging that Taylor failed multiple court-ordered drug tests. The results themselves remain protected from public release, and the substances allegedly involved have not been publicly identified.

We’ll also discuss Mikayla’s decision to leave Season 6 and donate the money she says she would have earned, Whitney’s departure for new opportunities, Jen joining The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County, and the complicated ethics of continuing the show while children, custody disputes, and allegations of abuse are involved.

I do not know these women personally. I recognize some of these dynamics from my own life and my own past, and I’m approaching this conversation with that experience in mind. Reality television is entertainment—but these are real people living through real situations. There is no perfect victim, people can be harmed while also causing harm, and more than one thing can be true at the same time.

Did MomTok survive Season 5—or did it simply become a job?

Content warning

This episode discusses domestic violence, coercive control, child-abuse and child-welfare allegations, childhood sexual abuse, mental health, suicidal ideation, custody disputes, and substance-use allegations. Allegations are identified as allegations, and nothing discussed here should be interpreted as a diagnosis or a definitive conclusion about events that have not been publicly established.

Sources and further reading

• How Mormon Wives addresses the Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen legal drama — People
• Taylor describes the CPS call before production is paused — Page Six
• Tate Paul seeks to unseal Taylor’s court-ordered drug-test results — People
• Report alleging Taylor failed multiple court-ordered drug tests — Page Six