Mikayla Matthews Is Leaving ‘the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Because Staying Felt Like Profiting Off Abuse
by Chrissy Stockton · Thought CatalogUpdated 5 minutes ago, September 15, 2026
Mikayla Matthews, 26, is stepping away from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, saying she can no longer be part of a show she believes gives a platform to behavior she can’t support. In an Instagram post, she framed the decision as a matter of conscience shaped by her own history of growing up in a home where she experienced multiple forms of abuse.
“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,” Matthews wrote. She added that continuing to profit directly from the behavior felt “wrong and unethical” and would harm children, people trying to heal and viewers.
Matthews didn’t identify the news or the behavior behind her decision. She said supporting an adult shouldn’t mean excusing toxic behavior without accountability or change, adding that she’d spent years in an enabling cycle and wouldn’t enter one again.
Her announcement came days after Season 5 was released. The five-episode season covers the period leading up to a domestic violence investigation involving castmate Taylor Frankie Paul and Paul’s ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen. Hulu stopped production in March 2026 during the police investigations, then brought cast members back to record individual interviews.
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Matthews and Paul had also clashed publicly in recent months. In July, Matthews accused Paul of “weaponizing and manipulating” her followers to preserve her power.
Matthews acknowledged that the series had become a major part of her life and helped her support her family. She said she’s grateful for the experience and plans to keep sharing her health journey, telling her story and advocating for herself and others.
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