The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has been one of the most hotly anticipated TV series of 2024, and it’s finally landed on our small screens. The show’s cast includes eight women in a Mormon community in Utah – Taylor Frankie Paul, Jessi Ngatikaura, Layla Taylor, Mikayla Matthews, Whitney Leavitt, Jennifer Affleck, Demi Engemann and Mayci Neeley. And if you’re imagining a girl gang of demure trad wives, you’re far off the mark.
These women have flamboyant social media personas and, collectively, millions of followers. They’re making money and seemingly having a great time. They dress in Juicy-couture-esque athleisure wear rather than prim 1950s housewife garb. They’re modern Mormons, and, as it turns out, their lifestyles and aspirations are bringing them head to head with both the church and their husbands.
What’s #MomTok?
@secretlivesonhulu Thought you knew #MomTok? Think again. #TheSecretLivesOfMormonWives premieres September 6 on @hulu ♬ original sound – secretlivesonhulu
#MomTok is key to understanding the not-so-secret lives of this group of Mormon mums.
Taylor Franki Paul, the self-proclaimed star of the show, says she created #MomTok, a corner of TikTok where she and her Mormon friends could create content about being young religious mothers. Playing on their audiences’ fascination with their paradoxical lifestyles and brash personalities, they shared parenting tips and raked in cash. Then, they got caught in a viral swinging scandal.
What Is Soft Swinging?
As you’re watching The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives, you’ll notice that this group of Mormons have a penchant for finding loopholes in the Church Of The Latterday Saints teachings. In 2022, Taylor Franki Paul revealed she and her friends had been “soft swinging”, a take on swinging that allows you to hook up with someone other than your partner “without going all the way.” Taylor did go all the way and ended up leaving her husband for the man she had an affair with. But, in her confessional, she revealed that extra-marital dalliances were rife amongst the wholesome Mormon group TIkTok audiences had fallen in love with.
Where Does The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives Start?
@whitneyleavitt huh that’s not how I remember it
♬ Original Sound – Unknown
The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives starts in the aftermath of the scandal as Taylor tries to reconnect with her friends (some of whom feel she breached their privacy). Group member Whitney Leavitt has moved to Hawaii, dodging accusations but has returned with her own secrets (that’s right, not all secrets got exposed in the TikTok scandal). Taylor clearly sees herself as the natural leader of this gang of mummy influencers and is trying to reclaim her place as leader of the pack. While they’re all eager to re-engage their #momtok followers – some of whom were confused by their off-brand behaviour) there’s conflict about how this should be achieved. Whitney wants to go back to basics, saying: “We need to get back to what MomTok was.” There’s a war brewing with one cast member saying: “You’re either Team Taylor or Team Whiteny.”
The Church Isn’t Happy
Unsurprisingly, the church leaders (that’s the Church of the Latter Day Saints or LDS for the uninitiated) have a problem with the show. Jess told ABC4 that this hate is misplaced. “Seeing the backlash from our community has been rough, but I also think that if they gave it a chance, they would realise it’s just an empowering show about women in this religion and culture but navigating it differently because we’re all imperfect humans.” Given the Church of the Latter Day Saints puts women strictly under their father’s and then husband’s rule, whether the Church is interested in a TV show with an empowering feminist Mormon message remains to be seen.
Taylor Franki Paul Gets Arrested
Taylor’s journey of redemption doesn’t start with her friend group. Just a few months after the swinging scandal, Taylor Franki Paul was arrested for domestic violence in the presence of a child after an intoxicated argument with her boyfriend. Body camera footage is shown in the first episode. It’s alleged that her boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, felt “scared for his life” when she threw a metal chair at him. One of her children was also struck by the chair. Taylor pled guilty to assault in August 2023 and has documented her sobriety journey extensively online.
Whitney’s Husband Was On Tinder
When Whitney Leavitt disappeared to Hawaii, it was assumed that she was lying low after the soft-swinging scandal. Turns out there were bigger issues in her marriage. Her husband had a porn addiction, and she was trying to conceal it.” “I didn’t even know it was true until I confronted Conner. I went to him, like, ‘Look at this joke.’ There was more to it than that… I didn’t want to come out because I just felt like there was a whole story. There’s a reason why people do certain things, and I think he was just confused.”
Whitney Debates A Sex Toy Deal
Whitney is one of the bigger and busiest personalities on The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives. She’s presented with an opportunity to make $20,000 promoting a sex toy to her 264k followers on Instagram. There are some pretty loose interpretations of Mormon religious tenants happening in The Secret Lives of Mormon Lives, but The Book Of Mormon, which was penned in 1830, didn’t cover sex toys, amongst many other things. Whitney tells her Mum and sister that she wants to be “empowering.” Her sister notes it doesn’t fit with the family-friendly vibe of her content, and her mum observes, “When you’re seeking pleasure, it can get out of hand.” For anyone experienced with 2024 vibrators, it certainly can. It seems like Whitney went ahead with the deal.
Whitney Compares How She Was Criticised On Social Media With How Taylor Frankie Paul Was
@winnetkabowlingleague #duet with @Whitney Leavitt this is actually insane #fyp #fypシ ♬ original sound – WBL
Whitney received heavy criticism when she shared a TikTok video from the hospital while her son was sick with RSV. She talks to Taylor about how Taylor was forgiven more quickly for her fairly severe transgressions than Whitney was. But co-star Demi says that when Whitney was receiving ketamine therapy, she had told her that she made the video to get “likes and clout.” “Coming out of ketamine, you are feeling things very deeply. Truths are coming out about yourself that maybe you wouldn’t otherwise admit,” Demi shared. “And in that moment, she admitted to me that the video was for sympathy, likes, clout, recognition and to gain her following.”
The Girls Go To Chippendales
@_justjessiiii GNO!!!! #lasvegas #chippendaleshow #girlsweekend #girlstrip ♬ Originalton – Pralina Karina
Amongst the existential drama, the girls visit Chippendales, a popular male strip club, while partying in Las Vegas on a “no boyfriends, no bullshit” girl’s trip. Understandably, some of the women are worried their husbands won’t approve. Jessi says it’s “fun and innocent” and says, “If any husband has a weird reaction, I feel like there’s something missing in that relationship because I know my husband isn’t going to care.” Jennifer’s husband Zac is one of those people. She tells the girls “He [Zac] says said he doesn’t want to be married to me if I do stuff like this.” In a series of text messages, he says their marriage is over and he’s taking the kids, but in typical Mormon Wives rollercoaster fashion, he seems to be over it in the morning.
Cheating Cliffhanger
Mayci wants to investigate whether Dakota, Taylor Franki Paul’s boyfriend, has cheated on Taylor in the past. She calls a suspected mistress who says she’s willing to talk, but Season 1 ends without answers. We can all cross our fingers for a season 2.
Where To Watch ‘The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives’ Season 1
You can find all eight episodes of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives American on Disney+ in Australia.
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This article originally appeared on Marie Claire Australia and is republished here with permission.
