The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Mikayla Matthews is finding solace away from the group’s lingering cast drama.
“After everything going on the last couple weeks, this was a very much-needed escape 🙏🏼,” Mikayla, 26, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, March 21, sharing footage of her family’s beach vacation in California. “Think I’ll stay here forever.”
Mikayla, who primarily resides in Utah, shares four children with estranged husband Jace Terry. (The couple announced their separation on Mormon Wives season 4, which premiered on Hulu earlier this month, after attempting to navigate their intimacy issues.)
Mikayla’s vacation comes shortly after production on Mormon Wives season 5 was halted amid Taylor Frankie Paul’s ongoing domestic violence allegations.
“It was a decision that all of us girls came up with and agreed on,” the mom of four wrote via her Instagram Stories on Wednesday, March 18, addressing the production pause. “We didn’t feel comfortable filming with everything that was happening.”
Us Weekly confirmed earlier this month that police were called to Taylor’s house in late February after an alleged altercation with her ex Dakota Mortensen.
Taylor, 31, was previously arrested in 2023 after getting into a physical altercation with Dakota, 33. She pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was subsequently placed on probation. Footage from the incident was leaked Thursday, March 19, in which Taylor was seen throwing chairs at Dakota in the presence of her daughter. (Taylor shares Indy, 8, and Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul, as well as Ever, 2, with Dakota.)
After the video made headlines, ABC canceled Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette days before its scheduled Sunday, March 22, premiere.
“Taylor is very grateful for ABC’s support as she prioritizes her family’s safety and security,” a spokesperson for Taylor told Us in a statement. “After years of silently suffering extensive mental and physical abuse as well as threats of retaliation, Taylor is finally gaining the strength to face her accuser and taking steps to ensure that she and her children are protected from any further harm.”
Dakota, who has denied any accusations against his behavior, was later granted a temporary protective order against Taylor that barred any communication between the exes and gave him sole custody of Ever until a court hearing in April.
Disney, which owns both ABC and Hulu, has not revealed the respective futures of The Bachelorette and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Taylor’s Mormon Wives costars, however, would be interested in picking up filming without their fellow MomTok creator.
“The girls know they can continue without Taylor and want to keep going,” a source exclusively told Us. “This has brought them closer in a way, and they all have been leaning on each other, checking in. They want to make it work and finish out season 5 on a high note.”
