The Cast of ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Share Their Biggest Secrets

New Hulu Series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wivesexplores the lives of the women in the #MomTok group. These Mormon mom influencers bonded over their hilarious TikTok videos. But that all changed in 2022. #MomTok creator Taylor Frankie Paul sparked a scandal when she opened up to her husband about her “soft swinging” lifestyle. The couple later divorced. Taylor then introduced her boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, on the show. The couple has a child together.

The new series follows Taylor, Whitney Leavitt, Mayci Neeley, Jessi Ngatikaura, Mikayla Matthews, Jen Affleck, Demi Engemann, and Layla Taylor as they reunite after the scandal to continue #MomTok. The series explores the changing landscape of friendships, marital relationships, and motherhood. Plus, there’s plenty of drama within the group of friends. While some of the group bonds, there’s also a battle for control of #MomTok.

Reality Tea spoke with the cast of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives about their experiences on the show, what surprised them most, and their shocking regrets.

What did #MomTok mean to its members?

The #MomTok group seemed to be an outlet for these busy Mormon moms. “I feel like #MomTok was just a group of women having fun. We all had something in common that we liked to do, because not everyone likes to be on camera and, you know, dancing. It was a way for us to, I don’t know, escape reality because we were getting ready, having fun,” Taylor explained.

“I think it’s just a community for me. I feel like moms are super-isolated,” Mikayla said. She had her first child as a teenager and is now married with three children. “We don’t have a lot of friends, and I think #MomTok is a really good community for people to… kind of discover new hobbies and new friendships and themselves.”

Jen added, “And I definitely think we’re the younger, new generation of Mormon moms, and I don’t think we see that very often. I feel like we can relate to not just Millennials, but Gen Z, and even moms in general.”

How #MomTok Led to New Experiences and Revealed Secrets

Of course, the women have had to deal with the fallout from the swingers scandal. “It’s changed our lives in so many ways. I think we went from doing these cute little, like dancing TikToks to having all our secrets exposed… and like that,” said Jen, who is married with two children. “Our lives are crazy now.”

Meanwhile, Demi, who has remarried and has a patchwork family, had a different take. “I did social media for 12 years before #MomTok, and when I joined #MomTok, eyeballs just went up. Our reach became so much bigger, and it became so much more lucrative in terms of income for my family. And then the show — I just think it was just a great opportunity.”

Layla agreed with Demi’s sentiments. “Like Demi said, I’m a single mom, so being able to provide care for my two kids was a total life-changer for me, and I think a lot of women can sometimes get stuck in relationships because finances are tough,” Layla explained. “So I’m so happy that I have that opportunity, that I’ve been able to provide a really good life for my kids on my own.”

Dealing with criticism and negativity

When the swingers scandal broke, all of the women in the group faced backlash. So how did they deal with all of the negativity? “Mayci and I have been doing social media for a long time… I feel like we’ve built a solid backbone,” Whitney said. She’s married and expecting her third child. “So it doesn’t affect us as much. Maybe (more) for some of the other girls. But, you know, they have a support system. That’s what’s so great about #MomTok. But I don’t really worry about it,” she added.

Jessi, who owns a hair school and extensions company, also weighed in. “I think we expected some criticism. Luckily, Taylor, you know, her story has been out for a few years. Unfortunately, she’s gotten used to the hate. It’s given her a tough skin,” she said. “We knew it was going to be controversial. But if I’m being talked about, then I’m doing something, you know? So I’d rather be talked about for living my life and pursuing my goals and dreams than not be talked about at all.” Well, that’s a unique perspective.

And Taylor agreed with Jessi. “Amen. I feel like my skin is definitely a lot thicker now. I feel more anxiety… I’m just more anxious because everything is on national TV,” the mother of three explained.

Layla hopes that some people’s opinions of the group might change. “It’s definitely been a challenge. I think it’s hard, especially in Utah, where I feel like that’s where we get our hate from… this community here. But they’ve only seen very small parts of the show,” she explained.

What shocked women while filming The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives?

“Drama. I would say our group of friends was kind of… not torn apart, but kind of,” said Mayci, who owns a perinatal nutrition business. “There were a lot of things going on where I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ It was like something was up in the air.”

Other cast members felt the cameras brought out unexpected feelings. “I think there’s so much raw emotion that comes out when you’re doing a show like this, because you’re talking about your feelings so much and you’re talking about really deep, personal topics that you wouldn’t just do every day,” Jessi said. “And it really opened us all up, and I think as a group, it brought us closer together, which was really great.”

Taylor was shocked by how vulnerable she felt. “I can’t speak for everyone, but I became very vulnerable. I feel like I was a lot softer than I thought. It was like I became a different person. So that was interesting,” Taylor said.

Meanwhile, Mikayla needed some time to get used to all the cameras and filming equipment. “And I was always really nervous for some reason. Every time we would sit down to film, my heart would race and I thought it would get easier, but I feel like we got used to it by the end,” Mikayla said.

“Totally. At least I forgot the cameras were there, and that’s the problem,” Jen said. “I was literally just being myself, which I don’t think worked! But that’s what was beautiful about doing this show, is that we all just showed up and were ourselves.”

What do the cast of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives regret?

Did the cast regret their actions on the show? Not really. “I wouldn’t change a thing, and people are going to be shocked by my answer because a lot happens to me on the show,” Jen noted. “But I just learned so much from it that, yeah, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Jessi also didn’t regret her experience. “And maybe I was luckier because I didn’t have as much drama as some of the other girls, but I really enjoyed the whole process of filming. I think all the women are really supportive of each other, even though there were ups and downs,” Jessi said. “We’re all, for the most part, really good friends. So I’m really grateful for that.”

And Demi felt the same way. “I feel like I moved so authentically that I don’t really regret anything… like any of my actions. I feel like I did everything I could to be intentional and move with purpose,” Demi said. But Layla wishes she’d speak up more. “I think maybe I’d be a little more vocal. I think sometimes I’m a little more of a shy person,” Layla admitted.

Taylor, meanwhile, had a different kind of regret. “I don’t know if I have any regrets when it comes to showing things, but I think I (wish) I was more ready,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t know what I was thinking, honestly. I would have just jumped in the shower and been happy filming.”

What conclusions should viewers draw from this series?

The cast has different ideas about what they hope viewers will take away from the show. “That it’s okay to be unique, to express yourself, and to be vulnerable,” Mikayla explained.

Jen echoed Mikayla’s sentiments. “And I think even as moms, I think we’re really hard on ourselves all the time,” she said. “I think, looking back, it’s going to be a little tough, but we also have to remind ourselves that we’re doing the best we can and showing up as our authentic selves, and that’s brave.”

Some of the cast of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives want viewers to feel inspired. “I hope they feel empowered as women and just as viewers, and especially men watching and seeing us as independent, strong women who provide for our families… being mothers and friends and daughters and, you know, wives,” Demi said. “We’re so capable and so strong. And I hope they come away from it feeling inspired,” she added.

“I hope that whoever watches, that one person can relate to at least one of the cast members, if not all of us, with where we are in our lives. Or friendships, relationships, or anything else that’s going on in our lives…” Whitney added.

Macyi then discussed the Mormon Church. “I think when it comes to relationality, especially when it comes to the Mormon Church and Mormon culture, I hope people can relate and know that they don’t have to be perfect to be in our religion,” she said.

All women are hoping for a second season. Fingers crossed!

All episodes of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives will be available on Hulu on Friday, September 6.

TELL US – WILL YOU BE WATCHING THE SECRET LIVES OF MORMON WIVES?

The article EXCLUSIVE: The Cast of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Shares Their Biggest Secrets first appeared on Reality Tea.