The cameras are rolling again, but not in the way fans were hoping. Here’s the shocking truth about what’s actually being filmed. After a two-month production shutdown that rocked one of Hulu’s most talked-about reality series, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has officially resumed filming — but there’s a major catch.
According to an PEOPLE, the cast is only filming confessionals for Season 5. No new episodes. No new group scenes. Just sit-down interviews — and that’s it.
“Right now, they’re just filming confessionals for season 5,” the source reveals. “They’ve decided they’re not going to film the rest of season 5, but apparently they’re still going to film season 6.”
Translation: Season 5 is essentially over before it ever really began.
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A Season Cut Down to Just Five Episodes
The shortened season will consist of only the five episodes filmed before cameras went dark back in March — leaving fans with a truncated, incomplete picture of what was shaping up to be the show’s most dramatic run yet.
Hulu has not yet publicly commented on the filming update.
Why Did Production Shut Down in the First Place?
The pause wasn’t just a scheduling issue. It stemmed from a full-blown crisis involving cast member Taylor Frankie Paul, 31, and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, 33.
In March 2026, Utah police departments launched two separate domestic violence investigations involving the pair. The situation quickly escalated when multiple cast members reportedly refused to continue working with Paul, effectively forcing Hulu to halt production entirely.
Shortly after, TMZ released a 2023 video showing a violent altercation between Paul and Mortensen — footage that sent shockwaves through both the show’s fanbase and the broader entertainment industry. The fallout was immediate: ABC scrapped Paul’s already-filmed season of The Bachelorette just days before it was set to air.
By April, prosecutors ultimately declined to file new charges against Paul in connection with the fresh allegations involving Mortensen. However, the two appeared in court together for a hearing over competing protective orders and custody of their 2-year-old son, Ever.
The Drama Didn’t Stop There
While legal battles played out in court, the chaos continued off-camera among the MomTok crew.
In March, Jordan Ngatikaura — husband of cast member Jessi Draper, 34 — filed for divorce. Weeks later, Draper was spotted getting cozy with Vanderpump Villa star Marciano Brunette, 33, a man she had previously admitted to kissing and sharing an emotional affair with during her marriage.
Cast member Mikayla Matthews, 26, publicly declared she was “fed up” amid the swirling drama, while her husband Jace Terry, 30, took direct aim at Paul online, accusing her of being “notorious for blasting people publicly” without any private communication first.
Paul herself fired back with a cryptic and emotionally charged Mother’s Day social media post, appearing to call out Matthews directly, writing: “What a snake friend just did to me in the public eye after everything she just witnessed… the lack of empathy and silence was loud enough.”
What’s Next for the Show?
Despite Season 5 being cut dramatically short, production on Season 6 is reportedly still moving forward — suggesting Hulu isn’t ready to walk away from the franchise just yet.
Whether the fractured cast relationships, ongoing legal drama, and public social media feuds will follow the show into its next chapter remains to be seen.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5 is expected to stream on Hulu. Season 5 will include only five previously filmed episodes.
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5 Update (2026)
Updated September 2026. Despite the headline-grabbing production pause, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was not cancelled — Hulu instead renewed it for three more seasons totaling 20 additional episodes. Season 5 was trimmed down to just five episodes after filming halted amid a domestic incident involving cast member Taylor Frankie Paul (the related charges were later dropped). Cameras have since resumed, with the crew now shooting what will effectively combine Seasons 6 and 7 into one extended production block. The five-episode Season 5 is expected to air later in 2026.
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