Mikayla Matthews’ feud with Taylor Frankie Paul heats up over scathing claims
Mikayla Matthews is accusing Taylor Frankie Paul of using her online following to intimidate fellow cast members.
Matthews shared the allegations recently in a lengthy Instagram Stories post after filming wrapped on season five of the Hulu reality series, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
It all began when Whitney Leavitt posted a celebratory video featuring several cast members dancing together alongside the caption, “We’re surviving,” a nod to the show’s recurring “Will MomTok survive this?” tagline.
Paul responded in the comments, writing, “Looks like thriving to me. I’ll show you surviving.”
She later posted a video showing messages about career opportunities, including a reported invitation to compete on Dancing with the Stars.
Fans also noticed she updated her Instagram bio to describe herself as the “creator of MomTok.”
Responding to the claims, Matthews argued that no single person created the movement.
“This show was pitched to us,” she wrote, explaining that the original concept centered on Mormon mothers and MomTok. She credited Paul, Miranda McWhorter and influencer Camille Munday with helping launch the online community but said every cast member earned their place on the series.
“Every single girl had to interview and was cast because of the value and vulnerability they brought to make this show what it is today,” Matthews wrote.
She went on to accuse Paul of using her larger social media platform to pressure others.
“Constantly reposting things and pushing the narrative of, ‘I’m the reason you have this… I’m a star and you’re not as interesting,’ seems like weaponizing and manipulating your following to keep yourself in that power position,” Matthews alleged.
The public dispute comes amid a turbulent year for Paul, who has been involved in multiple legal matters involving ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen.
The former couple has been the subject of separate domestic violence investigations and was granted mutual protective orders for three years after a court appearance in April. They also recently returned to court for a custody hearing.
Paul’s former husband, Tate, also sought a temporary restraining order against her in June, though the request was denied by a judge.
Separately, Paul confirmed she recently spent time in a rehabilitation facility after reports emerged that she had voluntarily checked herself in.
Despite tensions within the cast, production on season five has resumed. However, reports indicate Paul is expected to film some portions of the series separately from several of her co-stars.
