{"id":717938,"date":"2026-03-20T19:25:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T16:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/when-reality-tv-goes-too-far\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T19:25:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T16:25:13","slug":"when-reality-tv-goes-too-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/when-reality-tv-goes-too-far\/","title":{"rendered":"When Reality TV Goes Too Far"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tTaylor Frankie Paul\u2019s 2023 domestic dispute with her ex-boyfriend and co-star Dakota Mortensen was a major storyline when The<\/em> Secret Lives of Mormon Wives<\/em> launched back in the fall of 2024.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe shiny Hulu show that has become a cultural phenomenon was kickstarted on the back of her 2023 arrest<\/a>, stemming from a domestic incident with Mortensen. After showing footage of the two together during the very first episode of the reality series<\/a> with her then-boyfriend, shot specifically for Mormon Wives<\/em>, the show cut to footage of Paul\u2019s shocking arrest, which forced a break in production. Episode two then picked up with Paul pregnant, following a miscarriage, both stemming from her relationship with Mortensen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tFlash forward one year later and Paul was named as the next lead of The Bachelorette<\/em> for ABC, another network under Disney. The breakout star and popular #MomTok Mormon mom-influencer (who has amassed a large online following, with more than 2 million followers on Instagram) being named as the season 22 lead was a needed viral boost for the long-running franchise that had taken a ratings hit and notable\u00a0season off in 2025. Paul\u2019s arrest was well known to the Mormon Wives<\/em> audience, and it was a topic Paul herself addressed in interviews.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut all of that changed for Paul when TMZ released footage<\/a> from that 2023 incident three days before The Bachelorette<\/em> was set to premiere. The video depicted the physical conflict between Paul and Mortensen, with the former seen kicking her ex partner and throwing chairs at him. In the grainy footage, TMZ points out where Paul\u2019s daughter was sitting in close proximity, with Mortensen yelling out, \u201cYour daughter is right here,\u201d as she launched a chair his way. At the end of the video<\/a>, she throws another chair. A child can be heard crying.<\/p>\n

\n\tABC moved swiftly. Hours after the video was leaked, the network pulled Paul\u2019s season of The Bachelorette<\/em>, a first-ever move for a long-running franchise produced by Warner Bros. Television that has weathered its fair share of controversy. The decision, however, also came amid a fresh alleged domestic incident involving Paul and Mortensen that is currently being investigated by Utah\u2019s Draper City Police Department. Authorities confirmed on Monday that \u201callegations have been made in both directions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe chaos of Paul\u2019s life was lightning in a bottle for Mormon Wives<\/em>, which has become a mega-hit series for Hulu. But news<\/a> of the new investigation put filming for the forthcoming fifth season on pause earlier this week. With the series in limbo, Hulu has not yet commented on if Paul will remain a part of next season. (THR<\/em> has reached out for comment.)<\/p>\n

\n\tPaul is far from being the first TV personality to draw limelight for a turbulent past. And she won\u2019t be the last. Her scandal has reignited the debate about the ethics of the genre, which feeds on scandal. <\/p>\n

\n\tCaroline Flack, the longtime host of the mainstay Love Island<\/em> franchise, died at 40 in February 2020, by suicide. Her death followed a domestic assault charge involving her former partner, which led to a wave of online hate.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe events leading up to Flack\u2019s death were spotlighted in a 2025 Hulu series, where text messages and audio clips from the former Love Island<\/em> host shed light on her mental state amid the virtual attacks. \u201cMy life is over,\u201d she wrote in one message. (Vanity Fair<\/em><\/a> went deeper into the tragedies that have resulted for Love Island<\/em> reality stars in 2022, which includes three suicides.)<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tCaroline Flack leaves Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on December 23, 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHollie Adams\/Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tOver the past year there has also been a lawsuit involving Bravo, which is largely considered the main hub for the reality genre. Former Real Housewives of New York City<\/em> star Leah McSweeney filed a suit against the network, NBCUniversal, producers and Andy Cohen in February 2024, claiming she was pressured into breaking her sobriety for ratings.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMcSweeney argued that producers knew she was sober and \u201cnefariously\u201d pressured her to drink on camera while filming two RHONY<\/em> installments and one season of Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n\tOver a year later, the case is still ongoing, with a judge ruling on Tuesday that the argument will proceed in federal court, despite a request to move to private arbitration. The network, production companies and the Watch What Happ<\/a>ens Live<\/em> host argued McSweeney was not an employee but an independent contractor, so she was not entitled to certain workplace protections. Cohen filed to dismiss the suit in May 2024, with court documents alleging that McSweeney\u2019s allegations are \u201cthreadbare\u201d and should be \u201cdismissed as a matter of law.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tThe docs also said that McSweeney\u2019s claims of discrimination \u201cimpermissibly seek to abridge Defendants\u2019 First Amendment rights to tailor and adjust the messages they wish to convey in their creative works, including through cast selection and other creative decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t McSweeney wrote on her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, \u201cReality TV might look like entertainment, but behind the drama, there can be harmful misconduct that should never be normalized.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tSonja Morgan with Leah McSweeney (right) on The Real Housewives of New York City <\/em>season 13.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHeidi Gutman \/ \u00a9Bravo \/ Courtesy Everett Collection<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tThe ID docuseries Hollywood Demons <\/em>investigated deeper into the Real Housewives<\/em> franchise in late 2025, arriving almost a year after the Dark Side of Reality TV<\/em> that debuted in late 2024, taking dives into shows including the Bravo juggernaut, Survivor<\/em> and America\u2019s Next Top Model<\/em>.\u00a0The inner workings and downsides of the latter reality show were recently investigated in the Reality Check<\/em> miniseries, marking yet another reality-centered spectacle.\u00a0Allegations were also explored in a recent TLC docuseries about\u00a0The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City\u00a0<\/em>star\u00a0Mary Cosby.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut Paul\u2019s Mormon Wives<\/em> and subsequent Bachelorette<\/em> scandal has sent the internet into a tailspin, with many outlets pointing out that The Bachelorette<\/em> knew about Paul\u2019s past when she was cast (though, Disney\/ABC executives only saw the video when it leaked, as THR<\/em> reported), once again bringing ethics of reality TV into question. Real Housewives<\/em> OG Bethenny Frankel began advocating for the unionization of the genre during the joint actors-writers strike in 2023, arguing that reality crew and cast members deserve added protections as the genre has continued to grow, and drive in big bucks for networks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tSo far, there\u2019s been no progress with Frankel\u2019s \u201creality reckoning.\u201d All the while, mint reality shows have taken TV by storm.<\/p>\n

\n\tLove Island USA<\/em> became a smashing success in the summer of 2023. Season two of The Traitors<\/em> launched to unparalleled triumph in early 2024, and has been on an upward trajectory since. Then came The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. <\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tSeason one was the most-watched unscripted premiere for Hulu in 2024, surpassing the likes of The Kardashians<\/em>. Season two earned five million global viewers in its first five days across Disney+ and Hulu. And then they earned their first Emmy nomination.<\/p>\n

\n\tAn element that sets Mormon Wives<\/em> apart from shows in the genre is its release schedule: Not only do all episodes drop at one time, but they drop in record speed. Season one came out Sept. 6, 2024; season two arrived eight months later on May 15, 2025; season three sped up with six months in between installments, airing on Nov. 13; and season four just dropped on March 12, marking only four months between seasons.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tExecutive producer Jeff Jenkins told The Hollywood Reporter<\/em> ahead of season three\u2019s debut that the cast has been \u201cshooting very consistently, since the kickoff of shooting season one,\u201d and receive \u201ca few months of break in between seasons, but not much.\u201d At the time, fellow EP Lisa Filipelli said their rigorous filming schedule has been \u201csuch a challenge\u201d for the cast and crew, with Jenkins adding that they were working on \u201cfinding a balance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\tLayla Taylor, Taylor Frankie Paul and Miranda Hope on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives<\/em> season three.<\/span><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDisney\/Fred Hayes<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s unclear if that balance has been found. Whitney Leavitt and Jen Affleck simultaneously shot for Mormon Wives<\/em> and Dancing With the Stars<\/em> through the former series\u2019 fourth season last fall. Directly after her time on the dance show, Affleck told THR<\/em> that juggling both shows was \u201cvery hard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI almost feel like I\u2019ve been on autopilot, just because to even get time to just, like, take a shower, that even has felt like a lot,\u201d she explained.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tPaul, who has endured many personal challenges throughout her time on the series, hasn\u2019t been shy in sharing those struggles on camera. She told THR<\/em>, right after being named the next Bachelorette, that re-watching her past struggles when new seasons air \u201cis one of the hardest parts of this job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cTo go back and watch really hard scenes, of course it re-triggers it all. I have to mentally prepare [myself] that that is not where I am now, even though those same feelings are resurfacing,\u201d Paul explained. \u201cThere is definitely a mental game<\/a> with that, and it can be really hard.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tDays before her show was canceled, she told THR<\/em> that the\u00a0recent headlines\u00a0have been hard to navigate. \u201cIt\u2019s been really difficult and heavy given, you know, all the headlines and what\u2019s going on,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I would say I am handling it like any normal human would, like struggling, but trying to show up at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter ABC yanked the series, she said she was \u201cexploring all of her options, seeking support, and preparing to own and share her story.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tThroughout season four of Mormon Wives<\/em>, Paul admitted that she was grappling with the decision to head off to date dozens of men while shooting another show on The Bachelorette<\/em> amid her wants to be with Mortensen. She nearly did not leave for filming, having hooked up with Mortensen the night before she hopped on a plane to Los Angeles to head to the Bachelor mansion.<\/p>\n

\n\tHe, along with the rest of the husbands and a few exes of the main cast, were a main focus of season four. As the former partner to Paul, his presence at so many filming events was curious (the men argue he deserved to be present because he is apart of DadTok).<\/p>\n

\n\tBy the time Paul had to leave for The Bachelorette<\/em>, her contract was already signed. \u201cI definitely knew she wasn\u2019t ready,\u201d Mormon Wives<\/em> star Mikayla Matthews told Us Weekly<\/em><\/a> of Paul being the Bachelorette. \u201cI think that was an opportunity for her to be forced to be away from the toxic cycle that she was in with Dakota, at least for a period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tABC took a risk on casting Paul as their lead, and the news surrounding their starlet is undoubtedly raising questions about the future of the female-led spinoff to The Bachelor.<\/em> The series needed the viral boost from Paul after a Bachelorette<\/em> season break and an uncertain time for the wide Bachelor<\/em> franchise. Now in place of The Bachelorette<\/em>, ABC will air an encore of American Idol in the 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. time slot this Sunday. It is not currently clear if that will be continue throughout the season. <\/p>\n

\n\tIt would have been a costly decision to forfeit the season before filming began in late October when it was realized that Paul wasn\u2019t ready to step into the role of the Bachelorette. But now, the network will pay an even bigger cost for canceling the season \u2014 and that\u2019s not including the monetary downfall of scrapping an entire installment that was ready to air on Sunday, and already filmed to completion.<\/p>\n

\n\tCould Taylor Frankie Paul\u2019s latest scandal spark needed change in the genre?<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe reality of all this is that people genuinely need help and we are seeing that. We are witnessing that live,\u201d said Charity Lawson, season 20 lead of The Bachelorette<\/em>, in a recent TikTok<\/a>. \u201cMy hope is that we can see there is a much bigger issue here at hand and that the mental health of contestants should never be compromised so severely for ratings.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n