Will #MomTok Survive This?: Morality Clauses as a Tool for the Court of Public Opinion

When Taylor Frankie Paul, leader of the Mormon-mom-influencer group dubbed “MomTok,” first appeared on my For You Page, she announced she was getting a divorce because #MomTok had been “soft-swinging.”[1] In response to the instant virality of that post, on August 14, 2024, Hulu released the official trailer for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (“SLOMW”), a new Hulu Original reality television show about eight women from #MomTok, their shared goal to challenge the stigmas of Mormon culture, and the aftermath of the swinging scandal.[2]

The debut episode of SLOMW, “The First Book of Taylor,” introduces the audience to the women of #MomTok.[3] We learn that Paul and her then-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen might be expecting a baby.[4] In the back half of the episode, Paul announces she miscarried.[5] We see Paul and Mortensen ready to move on and work on their relationship because, despite their different lifestyles and views on drinking (Paul enjoys drinking while Mortensen is sober and in recovery), they want to be together.[6] Footage then cuts to audio of a police call made by Paul’s neighbor describing a potential domestic violence dispute coming from Paul’s home.[7] Police bodycam footage from the night shows Paul and Mortensen describing the events that transpired: Paul describes peeing herself out of fear after being pushed and locked in the garage; Mortensen says Paul threw metal kitchen stools at him.[8] The episode ends with Paul’s arrest.[9] When episode two opens eleven months after Paul’s arrest, we learn that she was charged with aggravated assault and three years’ probation—and that she is pregnant and working things out with Mortensen.[10]

Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Takes Over

Less than a month after season one premiered, Hulu announced SLOMW would be returning for a second season.[11] According to Hulu, SLOMW “became the most-watched unscripted season premiere on the streamer [that] year,” [EC1] with viewership exceeding that of The Kardashians.[12] The second season premiered just eight months after season one[13] and garnered five million views in its first five days on Hulu.[14] Shortly after, season three premiered,[15] and just four months later, season four followed.[16] In other words, since 2024, four seasons of SLOMW have premiered—an unprecedented amount compared to legacy reality television shows, which yield one season per year. “The expedited schedule is a result of the audience’s hunger for content,” said Jeff Jenkins, the show’s executive producer and creator.[17] In a landscape where the “number of unscripted series has plummeted by a third since 2022,”[18] SLOMW is a massive success.

In 2023, Disney bought Comcast’s remaining thirty-three percent stake in Hulu for $439 million.[19] Disney has had full operational control over Hulu since 2019[20] and fully acquired the streaming platform in July 2025.[21] The merger allows Disney to strengthen its corporate synergy strategy[22]: #MomTok was featured as guests on Hulu’s Vanderpump Villa;[23] members Whitney Leavitt and Jennifer Affleck joined the season thirty-four lineup of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars (also under Disney’s brand portfolio);[24] and Paul was cast to be the lead of season twenty-two of ABC’s The Bachelorette.[25]

But the reality television game is high risk, high reward—especially when the strategy to revitalize programs waning in popularity is to cross-pollinate them with thriving shows. While Paul’s casting was shocking given The Bachelor franchise has never “looked outside its pool of existing players” to cast The Bachelorette lead,[26] the decision made sense for three reasons. First, season two of SLOMW outpaced season ten of Bachelor in Paradise (a spin-off show within The Bachelor franchise) by about 3.2 million views.[27] Second, The Bachelorette was in crisis mode after a “disastrous” twenty-first season led fans to conclude that the executives had lost sight of what makes the show enjoyable.[28] Third, Paul has proved herself “well-versed in making must-see TV.”[29]

ABC took a risk casting Paul as The Bachelorette, and it failed before the show could even premiere. The first misstep was season four of SLOMW, which focused on Paul and Mortensen’s volatile relationship as she prepared to leave for The Bachelorette.[30] In the season’s finale, the audience saw Mortensen leave Paul’s home the morning she was set to fly to Los Angeles to commence filming, and Paul refusing to go to the airport because she felt sick.[31] When she lands in Los Angeles, Mortensen FaceTime calls her to apologize but tells her to “save [him] a rose”—a reference to The Bachelorette, where the lead hands out roses to the contestants.[32] Season four ends on a cliffhanger: Mortensen reveals the pair had sex before Paul left and she might be pregnant while filming The Bachelorette.[33]

On March 16, 2026, just four days after season four of SLOMW was released and six days before Paul’s season of The Bachelorette was slated to air on ABC, it was reported that filming for season five of SLOMW halted.[34] On March 19, 2026 (now three days ahead of The Bachelorette’s premiere), TMZ released a video Mortensen filmed during the 2023 fight[35]—the fight the audience saw the aftermath of via police bodycam footage in SLOMW’s debut episode.[36] In it, Paul is seen throwing a kitchen stool at Mortensen while her daughter is heard crying in the back.[37] That same day, a spokesperson for Disney shared that “in light of the newly released video just surfaced today, [ABC] made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time.”[38]

If Pauls’ season of The Bachelorette never airs, ABC could reportedly lose upwards of $30 million—the sum of production costs, marketing costs, and lost ad sales.[39] But how did this all happen, and what comes next?

Did ABC Know About This?

Given the time, money, and preparation that goes into filming a season of The Bachelorette (each episode reportedly costs $2 million to produce[40]), it is unlikely the show’s leads go unvetted. Further, Paul’s past is no secret—it is well documented and prominently featured on SLOMW. Thus, the network was surely aware of the police bodycam footage, as well as Paul’s charges and ongoing three-year probation, when it chose to cast her. However, would Disney—and its robust legal team—take such a risk? How can the company protect itself from controversy and viewer outrage?

The Morality Clause

Morality clauses, “designed to limit reputational and financial damage stemming from employee misconduct,” have become an increasingly common tool in negotiations.[41] Such clauses outline the required “behavioral standards [employees must meet] throughout the life of the agreement,” essentially creating a contingent contract.[42] A contingent contract functions like an insurance policy and crisis management strategy: it allows contracting parties to hedge their bets and outline an escape. Contingent contracts do so by creating “incentives for compliance and/or penalties for noncompliance” and eliminating “the need to reconvene or negotiate” when something goes wrong.[43] In the event that an employee finds themselves at the center of scandal, an employer might want to cut ties to prevent financial or reputational harm.[44] As such, morality clauses are becoming standard provisions in contracts with celebrities, athletes, and other figures whose lives are up for public consumption.[45]

What makes it into these clauses is up for negotiation. While an employer might want “broad language that covers criminal acts, unethical conduct, and even behavior that is merely embarrassing,” talent might negotiate for narrower terms.[46] For example, CNN’s standard morality clause “allows immediate termination if an employee engages in conduct that brings disrepute.”[47]

While the terms of Paul’s contract for The Bachelorette are unknown, it is likely that it included a morality clause—and that the clause is the insurance policy that allowed Disney to pull her season just seventy-two hours before it was set to air. 

What if ABC Already Knew About the Incident?

As discussed, The Bachelorette likely knew about Paul’s past[48] from both SLOMW and its own vetting process. However, given that the video remained private until TMZ published it, it is possible Paul and The Bachelorette pre-production team did not know it existed.

While the 2023 incident itself might not be a valid reason for Disney to trigger the morality clause (since the network knew about it before agreeing to employ Paul), the publishing of the video presents the opportunity to do so. Moreover, when considering a morality clause as a tool for reputational management and to protect Disney from the backlash of public opinion, shelving Paul’s season seems like a sound decision. The audience saw the police bodycam footage and heard Paul discuss the night leading up to her arrest on SLOMW.[49] Seeing footage of the fight adds a new, visceral layer. What was once vague is now explicit, and by allowing The Bachelorette to air in the shadow of footage showing its lead throwing kitchen stools at her boyfriend, family-centric Disney would essentially be aligning itself with domestic violence.

So, What Happens Next?

There has been much speculation online about what happens next: what happens to all the money ABC will lose? Can Paul sue Disney? Can Disney sue Paul? Can the male contestants of The Bachelorette sue? It all depends on what is in the contract!

Most complicated is what happens to all the money already spent on The Bachelorette. While Disney and ABC air The Bachelorette, Warner Bros. Horizon Unscripted Television is in charge of its production.[50] Therefore, the most complicated action would likely be between Disney and Warner Bros. over production costs. Another likely issue is the money ABC owes to participating advertisers, including airlines, hotels, and other brands that participated in product placement during filming.[51]

Given the likelihood of a morality clause in the contract, it is unlikely that Paul or Disney would have a viable suit against the other party. The morality clause eliminates the need for further consideration by settling the terms of conduct (and consequences for misconduct) before entering into an agreement.[52] Because the terms of Paul’s contract are unknown, violating the morality clause could result in anything, including incurring a fine, the recollection of her appearance fee, or nothing at all.

Finally, contestants on The Bachelorette are not paid for appearing on the show. Contestants often quit their jobs to participate in hopes of leveraging exposure into a social media career.[53] But contestants typically sign blanket contracts that allow producers broad discretion to edit their appearances to best suit the show’s narrative;[54] this likely includes the discretion to omit a contestant entirely. While some of Paul’s hopeful suitors may not have the career pivot they were hoping for, there is likely no legal recourse they can seek.

The best course of legal action, perhaps, is between Paul and Mortensen. The past four seasons of SLOMW have documented their volatile relationship and #MomTok members’ disdain for Mortensen. In a podcast appearance, #MomTok member Macy Neeley shared her belief that Mortensen had a habit of “purposely ruining Paul’s mindset ahead of major opportunities” and sabotaging her.[55] Neeley explained that ahead of the podcast appearance, Paul and Mortensen got into a fight, causing Paul to miss appearing.[56] Neeley also explained a fight the pair got into before a trip to Los Angeles for SLOMW, which almost caused Paul to skip the press day.[57] The final episode of season four shows Mortensen leaving Paul’s home the morning she is set to leave for The Bachelorette, but Paul refuses, saying she feels sick.[58] Finally, the video Mortensen took of their 2023 fight was leaked to TMZ just three days before The Bachelorette premiered.[59] While it is unknown how TMZ obtained the video, Mortensen filmed the incident and therefore owns the copyright to the footage, as authors of fixed works are afforded protection once their works are fixed “in a tangible form of expression.”[60] This means that Mortensen has the exclusive rights to reproduce, prepare derivatives of, distribute copies, or publicly display this video.[61] If Paul were able to argue such liability, and establish Mortensen’s pattern for sabotaging her professional opportunities, she might have a claim against him for tortious interference—that is, wrongful and intentional interference with Paul’s contractual or business relationships.[62]

Will #MomTok Survive This?

If the audience’s hunger for content and seasons one through four of SLOMW are any indication, yes, #MomTok will survive, but hopefully not without some serious restructuring, given all that has transpired since the start of 2026.

[1] Bridget Read, Under the Mormon Influence: How the women of Utah blogged and posted their way into American hearts and wallets, The CUT (Feb. 9, 2026), https://www.thecut.com/article/mormons-pop-culture-secret-lives-bachelorette.html.

[2] Hulu, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives | Official Trailer | Hulu (YouTube, Aug. 14, 2024), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6qyTIzbs9w&t=1s.

[3] The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu television broadcast, aired Sept. 6, 2024).

[4] Id.

[5] Id.

[6] Id.

[7] Id.

[8] Id.

[9] Id.

[10] Id.

[11] TMZ Staff, ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Season 2 Is Officially Happening, TMZ (last updated Mar. 19, 2026, at 1:20 PM PDT), https://www.tmz.com/2024/10/02/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-greenlit-season-2/.

[12] Loree Seitz, ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Is Hulu’s Most-Watched Unscripted Premiere of 2024, Streamer Says | Exclusive, The Wrap (Sept. 11, 2024, at 11:00 AM), https://www.thewrap.com/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-hulu-streaming-viewership-popularity/.

[13] Lauren Dehollogne, ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Season 2: First Trailer, Premiere Date & More, TV Insider (Apr. 22, 2025, at 7:45 PM), https://www.tvinsider.com/1151375/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-season-2-premiere-date-cast/.

[14] Katie Campione, ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Season 2 Draws 5M Views Globally In First 5 Days on Disney+ & Hulu, Deadline (May 20, 2025), https://deadline.com/2025/05/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-season-2-premiere-ratings-1236406318/.

[15] McKinley Franklin, ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Sets Season 3 Premiere Date for November, The Hollywood Reporter (Aug. 28, 2025), https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-season-3-premiere-date-1236355294/.

[16] Mehera Bonner, ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Season 4: Everything We Know, Cosmopolitan (last updated Feb. 19, 2026), https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a69661354/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-season-4-cast-release-date-drama/.

[17] Peter White, ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Renewed at Hulu, Deadline (Nov. 25, 2025, at 10:00 AM), https://deadline.com/2025/11/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-renewed-hulu-1236627956/.

[18] John Koblin, Reality TV Confronts a Harsh TV Reality, The New York Times (last updated Mar. 29, 2026), https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/business/media/reality-tv-era-ending.html.

[19] Alex Weprin, Disney to Pay Comcast an Additional $439 Million for Hulu Stake as Streaming Saga Comes to an End, The Hollywood Reporter (June 9, 2025, at 1:32 PM), https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/hulu-value-revealed-disney-completes-deal-comcast-1236260404/.

[20] Andy Meek, Disney Now Fully Own Hulu–What Changes are Coming for Subscribers?, Observer (June 11, 2025, at 12:28 PM), https://observer.com/2025/06/disney-completes-hulu-acquisition-analysis/.

[21] Weprin, supra note 19.

[22] Meek, supra note 20.

[23] Natalia Senanayake, Vanderpump Villa Trailer Reveals Stunning New Location, Juicy Bombshells and Surprise ‘MomTok’ Guests: WATCH (Exclusive), People (Mar. 20, 2025, at 9:00 AM EDT), https://people.com/vanderpump-villa-season-2-trailer-new-location-surprise-momtok-guests-watch-exclusive-11700085.

[24] Lynette Rice, ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Casts Whitney Leavitt & Jennifer Affleck From ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’, Deadline (June 30, 2025, at 10:50 PM), https://deadline.com/2025/06/dancing-with-the-stars-whitney-leavitt-jennifer-affleck-1236446351/.

[25] Stephanie Wenger and Kirsty Hatcher, The New Bachelorette Revealed! Mom of 3 and Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Star Taylor Frankie Paul Takes the Lead, People (Sept. 10, 2025, at 5:02 AM EDT), https://people.com/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-taylor-frankie-paul-named-bachelorette-lead-season-22-11807006.

[26] Savannah Walsh, How Taylor Frankie Paul, Once a Mormon Wife, Became a Bachelorette With a Not-So-Secret Life, Vanity Fair (Nov. 13, 2025), https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/taylor-frankie-paul-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-the-bachelorette-interview?srsltid=AfmBOoqW-rzWl3sPpqSnxTvnr0gCuawt-5OYgzfrKTHoKl4JcaM_5iuZ.

[27] Id.

[28] Savannah Walsh, Can the Bachelor Franchise Heal Its Broken Heart?, Vanity Fair (July 8, 2025), https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/bachelor-in-paradise-love-island-perfect-match-reality-tv-dating?srsltid=AfmBOorSVkT3_cpbHQcNCoxsxyLfgILSxZ3YHeBuPe8V1gjsQCUD_ICw.

[29] Savannah Walsh, Why Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Star Taylor Frankie Paul as Bachelorette Is a Franchise-Saving Move, Vanity Fair (Sept. 10, 2025), https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-star-taylor-frankie-paul-as-bachelorette-is-a-franchise-saving-move?srsltid=AfmBOopLlc0XiJrNaXsk_sE0hCRnBvLwO5E9NCqweK697HZ2xgNf1pym.

[30] The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu television broadcast, aired Mar. 12, 2026).

[31] Id.

[32] Id.

[33] Id.

[34] Luke Chinman and Zoe Lyttle, Mormon Wives Halts Filming After Taylor Frankie Paul Involved in Recent Alleged Domestic Violence Incident (Exclusive Sources), People (Mar. 16, 2026, at 2:53 PM EDT), https://people.com/mormon-wives-stops-filming-for-season-5-as-taylor-franke-paul-is-involved-in-domestic-violence-incident-exclusive-sources-11926978.

[35] TMZ Staff, Taylor Frankie Paul Video Shows 2023 Fight with Dakota Mortensen When Child Was Struck, TMZ (last updated March 25, 2026, at 3:51 PM PDT), https://www.tmz.com/2026/03/19/video-of-taylor-frankie-paul-beating-dakota-mortensen/.

[36] Hulu supra note 2.

[37] TMZ supra note 35.

[38] Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC shelves Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Bachelorette’ season amid domestic violence allegations, ABC News (Mar. 20, 2026, at 7:53 AM), https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/abc-shelves-taylor-frankie-pauls-bachelorette-season-amid/story?id=131231284.

[39] Rick Porter, ABC Faces $30 Million-Plus Loss From Scrapped ‘Bachelorette’ Season, The Hollywood Reporter (Mar. 20, 2026, at 10:35 AM), https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/scrapping-bachelorette-abc-cost-30-million-1236542406/.

[40] Id.

[41] Pon Staff, Employment Contract Negotiation: Morals Clauses, Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation (Jul. 2, 2026), https://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/business-negotiations/preparing-for-the-worst-in-business-negotiations-nb/

[42] Id.

[43] Harvard Law School, What is a Contingent Contract?, Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation, https://www.pon.harvard.edu/tag/contingent-contract/ (last visited Oct. 15, 2026).

[44] Pon Staff, supra note 42.

[45] Id.

[46] Id.

[47] Id.

[48] The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu television broadcast, aired Sept. 6, 2024).

[49] Id.

[50] Anthony Robledo, Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Bachelorette’ canceled. Can ABC get a refund?, USA Today (last updated Mar. 30, 2026, at 3:10 PM ET), https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2026/03/21/taylor-frankie-paul-bachelorette-cancelled-abc/89251666007/

[51] Dani Medina, Taylor Frankie Paul’s ‘Bachelorette’ Season Isn’t Completely Off the Table, Producer Says, Entertainment NOW (Apr. 9, 2026, at 1:40 PM), https://entertainmentnow.com/the-bachelor/taylor-frankie-paul-bachelorette-season-future/.

[52] Harvard Law School, supra note 43.

[53] Caroline Blair, Do Bachelorette and Bachelor Contestants Get Paid?, People (Mar. 20, 2026, at 1:39 PM EDT), https://people.com/do-bachelorette-and-bachelor-contestants-get-paid-11930643

[54] Noor Brara, “They Murdered Me”: Reality TV Stars Push Back at Producers’ Cheapest Trick, Vanity Fair (July 8, 2021), https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/07/they-murdered-me-reality-tv-stars-push-back-at-producers-cheapest-trick?srsltid=AfmBOoqG0XYIdNVPEcg54jtz5ST6bX6xUTY12tSpdJZUgD2wCk4i1t9x.

[55] Id.

[56] Id.

[57] Id.

[58] The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu television broadcast, aired Mar. 12, 2026).

[59] TMZ Staff, supra note 35.

[60] What is Copyright? Copyright.Gov, https://www.copyright.gov/what-is-copyright/.

[61] Id.

[62] Tortious Interference, WEX, https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/tortious_interference (last visited Oct. 15, 2026).