Mikayla Matthews has quit The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, telling fans in an Instagram statement on Monday that she will "not be continuing the show at this moment" because she considers it toxic.
The 26-year-old reality star's exit comes amid an ongoing feud with castmate Taylor Frankie Paul, and as the Hulu series films its sixth season. Although Matthews did not name Paul directly, she pointed to reports of Paul's return to the show as the reason behind her decision, writing that she made up her mind "over a week ago, after hearing some news."
Page Six reported last week that Paul would officially return to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives for season six with the full backing of ABC and Disney.
Matthews calls the show 'toxic and unethical'
Matthews did not hold back in her statement. "I've said from the beginning of this that I'm not comfortable being a part of something that continues to platform behavior I don't agree [with], especially given my own experience growing up in a home with multiple forms of abuse," she wrote.
She added that no amount of money was worth compromising her morals. "There's no amount of money worth going against my morals or changing the stance I've had since I first saw and heard the things that made me feel this strongly. And for me personally, continuing to directly profit from this behavior feels wrong and unethical. It feels like a disservice to the children, everyone's healing and the millions of people watching," she said.
Matthews acknowledged that the show had "helped me provide for my family" but said she could no longer continue while what she called "toxic behaviour" was being platformed. "Supporting an ADULT doesn't mean constantly making excuses for toxic behavior while giving unconditional sympathy and grace with zero accountability or change. I was in that enabling cycle for years, and I'm not going to be a part of that again!" she wrote.
Other cast exits and the show's future
Matthews is not the first cast member to leave the series. Whitney Leavitt quit after filming wrapped on season five to focus on her acting career, while Demi Engemann was let go after season four. Engemann is set to appear on the upcoming Hulu competition series The Mob in October.
The rest of the cast has continued filming season six over the past few weeks and was recently spotted on location in Europe, including Paris, where Matthews was seen with her castmates, suggesting she may still appear in a number of episodes next season. Hulu has also confirmed a seventh season of the show, though filming has not yet begun.
Paul's turbulent fifth season
Season five of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiered last week and largely centred on Paul as she returned home from filming ABC's The Bachelorette. Once back, Paul resumed sleeping with her on-again, off-again baby daddy Dakota Mortensen, despite the fact that he had a girlfriend at the time.
Paul was also newly engaged to Doug Mason, who proposed to her on the finale of The Bachelorette, while simultaneously dating Ben Lambert, an aspiring musician she met on TikTok.
In March, Paul's season of The Bachelorette was pulled from ABC's schedule the day before it was due to premiere, after a video resurfaced from 2023 showing her attacking Mortensen during a domestic dispute. In the video, the mother of three was seen throwing metal chairs at Mortensen, one of which accidentally struck her own child. Paul has accused Mortensen of domestic violence, which he has denied.
Custody battle over son Ever
Paul and Mortensen were locked in a custody battle over their two-year-old son, Ever, until June 1, when a judge lifted mandatory supervision for Paul's parenting time with the toddler.
Under the ruling, Paul was granted custody of Ever on the same midweek day each week without overnights, as well as alternating weekends, while Mortensen remains the "custodial parent" on holidays. The pair have also been banned from making disparaging remarks about one another in public, including on social media.
Ongoing feud with castmates
While Paul is barred from disparaging Mortensen, she has continued to clash on social media with her Hulu castmates, including Matthews, who took her own digs at Paul over the weekend, including a shady TikTok video.
In an Instagram post on Sunday night, Paul addressed her future on the show and the ongoing feud. "Stayed off my phone most of the day then got on just to see more videos directed to me and as a group they are STILL going and if I respond I'm in the wrong," she wrote.
"The only reason I'm continuing the show is to share my story and hopefully help people. I originally had no desire to be around them either but I have a bigger purpose I'm aiming towards and need to focus on that only. I have a good heart at core and I just need to remember I'm not this evil person they want me to be," Paul added.
