Home Entertainment Reality TV

The real story behind The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives

It’s messy.
Disney Plus.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is a reality show that has truly taken the world by storm and with season two now officially confirmed, we can expect a lot more drama, many more scandals, and countless more ounces of soda (it’s a Utah thing).

The backstory behind the actual show is just as wild as what actually plays out on screen, so we’re diving into all the controversy and TikTok drama that has catapulted The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives into pop culture stardom.

Taylor Paul sparked the show’s creation. (Credit: Getty)

Featuring the founding members of #MomTok, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows a group of modern, religious mothers from Utah.

What kicked off the show in the first place was a 2022 TikTok scandal where Taylor Frankie Paul announced she was getting a divorce via TikTok Live.

She also revealed some salacious information about her friend group, alleging they participated in “soft swinging”, which refers to couples swapping partners but not engaging in penetrative sex with them. Taylor divulged that she went “all the way” with someone, which ultimately resulted in her divorce.

This bombshell revelation led to a lot of online speculation over who else from the group could have been involved, as well as sparked plenty of controversy as they were all practising Mormons who tend to hold conservative and traditional values.

Following the livestream, Taylor claims she was “shunned” by many of her friends, despite “no one [being] innocent” in her view.

@secretlivesonhulu

The scandal you know, the side you don’t. 👀 #TheSecretLivesOfMormonWives drops September 6, only on @hulu.

♬ original sound – secretlivesonhulu

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows the aftermath of this TikTok scandal, with Taylor attempting to reunite the #MomTok friendship group that fell apart.

In addition to the soft swinging drama, there’s also an arrest, plenty of arguments, and accusations of infidelity.

The cast members – including Whitney Leavitt, Jenn Affleck, Mikayla Matthews, Jessi Ngatikaura, Layla Taylor, Mayci Neeley, and Demi Engemann – also grapple with their Mormon faith and become divided into two groups: the Saints and the Sinners.

The “Saints” uphold more traditional practices within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints such as wearing garments, attending Church regularly, and not consuming alcohol or caffeine, while the “Sinners” are more progressive and discuss scandalous topics like sex, drink alcohol, and start to rebel against the gender stereotypes that exist within their homes and relationships.

Some of the cast members. (Credit: Instagram)

It seems viewers can’t get enough of the drama, as the show became the most watched unscripted show premiere of 2024 on Hulu in the United States.

In Australia, you can catch all episodes of season one of The Secret Wives of Mormon Wives on Disney Plus.

Stream The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Disney Plus, from $13.99/mth. Subscribe now.

Related stories