“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” Explores #MomTok

In two online interviews with several cast members of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, I caught up with Demi Engemann, Layla Taylor, Mikayla Matthews, and Jen Affleck.

“If ‘MomTok’ were touring Utah for a group of tourists, where would you take your guests?” was my first question to Taylor and Engemann.

Taylor jumped in and said, “Have a drink!”

Engemann laughed and added: “Swig, then Temple Square, Sundance and Park City.”

The cast members call themselves “MomTok,” and the group originally rose to fame through their collaborative content on TikTok before later shocking the country with a high-profile scandal in 2022. While many people will be tuning in tomorrow to watch Taylor Frankie Paul, the MomTok member who revealed her swinger story on TikTok, remember that you will be hearing the truth about these women and their inner lives.

What a statement — swinging isn’t even the most interesting thing about this well-known group of Mormon women.

Cast’s Response to Church’s Statement

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a statement titled “When Entertainment Media Distorts Faith,” referring to the upcoming premiere of the series.

“Some depictions are honest and accurate, but others rely on stereotypes or gross misrepresentations that are in poor taste and have real consequences for people of faith,” the statement reads.

When asked about The church and its members, who call MomTok a “blatant distortion,” Matthews called the article a “light dig” and defended MomTok.

“We do not claim to be spokesmen for the Church,” she said.

Engemann strengthened her position in the Church.

“I am a faithful member of the church and I try to do the best I can, but at the end of the day, any criticism that comes from that has nothing to do with my faith in God,” she said.

However, Affleck said she sees the series as an opportunity to spread the gospel.

“This show will do a lot of good, just the fact that people are curious about the church is a success,” Affleck said.

Families can be together forever

Layla Taylor, recently divorced, commented on the connection between the church and women feeling trapped in marriage.

“They definitely encourage having children, staying home, taking care of the home, keeping the family together.” Divorce is something that is frowned upon in the church, but I am an advocate of being happy,” she said.

In the fifth episode of the show, viewers will see Taylor hosting a divorce party with all of MomTok in attendance.

The Secret Ego Life of Mormon Men

In episodes six and seven, Affleck and Paul were forced to confront their tumultuous relationship when a trip to MomTok Las Vegas attended by Affleck’s husband Zac Affleck and Paul’s boyfriend Dakota Mortensen turned into a heated argument between the two couples.

Taylor recalled the events that led Zac and Jen Affleck to the brink of divorce.

“It’s hard because every relationship has a different dynamic, whether it’s jealousy issues or being more protective, we just don’t know what that dynamic is, and I think we’ve learned that on this journey,” Taylor said.

Zac Affleck’s behavior during his trip to Las Vegas was met with disapproval from MomTok members.

“I thought some of the things Jen said were extremely inappropriate,” Taylor said of the situation.

The Afflecks weren’t the only ones having relationship troubles. Taylor Frankie Paul and her boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, joined them, much to the surprise of the rest of the group.

Taylor shed light on the frequent drama between Paul and Mortensen.

“They’ve always had a fiery relationship. I feel like it wasn’t unusual for us for Dakota to react that way,” Taylor said.

Sisterhood?

When asked about the support she received from this group after her divorce, Taylor referred to it and said, “These girls became like sisters to me.”

However, not everyone has found such warmth in sisterhood.

The most visible drama occurred between Whitney Leavitt and the rest of the group.

In our interview, Matthews recalled a MomTok meeting that Leavitt attended after an unpleasant argument that prompted the group to question Leavitt’s character.

“It was like a garbage fire, a train wreck, the worst. I do a lot of talking with my face, most of us do, except for people who have a lot of Botox, but my face really did say it all,” Matthews said.

#MomTok has proven to be important to these ladies, and they’ve made an entire TV series about it, but Engemann is very committed to the values ​​of the MomTok members.

“We don’t have to be pitted against each other all the time, there’s beauty in comparing ourselves and supporting each other,” Engemann said.

While there were some “Barbie”-worthy bonds throughout the season, like the one between Taylor and Engemann, there were also some enemies formed along the way.

Scandal and friendship are all in the book “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” so Utah, grab your Swigs and get ready to watch the reality show tomorrow on Hulu.

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@haileyedmonds8