he cast of a controversial new reality show about Mormon influencers in Utah are hitting back at the backlash they’ve received from the church and its followers.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which premieres on Hulu on September 6, has caused a stir both online and in the LDS church thanks to the outrageous antics of the cast.
Some of the wild scenes on the show have included a sex act involving breakfast cereal, a swinging scandal , a drunken arrest , and a trip to a male strip revue in Vegas. One cast member also revealed the results of her labiaplasty on camera, while another confessed to getting pregnant to her now-husband when she was just 16 and he was 21.
Speaking to DailyMail.com about the reception to the series, some of the women said that they hope other Mormons can be less judgmental towards them moving forward.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast are hitting back at the backlash they’ve received from the church and its followers over their scandalous new reality series.
The series, which premieres on Hulu on September 6, has caused a stir both online and in the LDS church thanks to the outrageous antics of the cast.
Some of the wild scenes on the show have included a sex act involving breakfast cereal, a swinging scandal, a drunken arrest, and a trip to a male strip revue in Vegas.
‘I hope when the show comes out that the church members will be a little more open minded and realize that we’re not against them, we’re with them – we’re just showing our sins publicly,’ Jessi Ngatikaura explained.
‘I feel like it’s a lot of projection,’ added Taylor Frankie Paul.
‘At the end of the day we’re not representing those people, we’re representing ourselves and our stories – and our message is that we’re not all the same and we don’t all live the same,’ she continued.
‘There’s different spectrums of Mormonism and it’s unfortunate that we’re getting judged so harshly before they’ve even seen it.’
Cast members Jen Affleck and Mikayla Matthews said that they’ve had to stop reading comments on social media due to the hate and trolling they’ve received.
‘It’s the keyboard warriors – nobody’s gonna say that to your face,’ said Mikayla.
‘For me I’m seeing [the show] as a good opportunity to still represent the church and empower other people in the church who maybe feel like they can’t fully be their authentic selves or talk about their flaws or their imperfect marriages and That’s what I’m here to do, ‘explained Jen.
Demi Engemann – who has a kinky sex act with her husband exposed on the show – said she isn’t worried about having her bedroom antics revealed on reality TV.
Speaking to DailyMail.com about the reception to the series, some of the women said that they hope other Mormons can be less judgmental towards them moving forward.
The Hulu series also depicts cast member Jessi Ngatikaura drinking alcohol – which is strictly forbidden in the religion
‘We’re pretty open with how obsessed we are with each other and how we push the boundaries and have fun with it for sure,’ she laughed.
For Taylor, whose ‘soft-swinging’ scandal was the catalyst for the series, she says that she saw the Hulu series as an opportunity to show the world that she was more than just a partner-swapping divorcee.
‘It was a time for me to show more of myself and a bigger picture of my life rather than that one story and headline,’ she said.
Some cast members, including Mayci Neely, hope that the show will bring everybody more followers and lucrative sponsorship deals on social media.
‘I’m hoping if anything it should help me get more brand deals,’ she said.
‘That was one part of the purpose of going on the show – [to get] more exposure, to further the career,’ she continued.
‘You do not get paid a ton in reality TV, but you can if your following grows and you get more brand deals, so that’s the hope!’
Demi Engemann (pictured) -who has a kinky sex act with her husband exposed on the show- said she isn’t worried about having her bedroom antics revealed on reality TV
Some cast members, including Mayci Neely (pictured), hope that the show will bring everybody more followers and lucrative sponsorship deals on social media.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows a group of glamorous influencer moms who have their faith and friendships rocked by a couple-swapping scandal.
The cast’s social media accounts have been flooded with negative comments since Hulu first announced the show on July 29.
Some naysayers have taken issue with the fact that the cast includes Taylor, who went viral in 2022 after she revealed that she and her Mormon friends had engaged in ‘soft swinging’ parties – which eventually led to her divorce.
‘These girls are obsessed with monetizing being “Mormon” yet NONE of them actually represent an LDS wife,’ one person commented.
‘What’s sad is none of these girls actually live the values of the LDS church, so this will only give the church more negative attention,’ wrote another.
‘Where do they find these people? What a terrible representation of our faith, ‘added one.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows a group of glamorous influencer moms who have their faith and friendships rocked by a couple-swapping scandal.
Cast member Mikayla Matthews (pictured) got pregnant to her husband when she was just 16 and he was 21-years-old
Additionally, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints posted a cryptic statement on their website seemingly aimed at the Hulu series last month.
‘Some portrayals are fair and accurate, but others resort to stereotypes or gross misrepresentations that are in poor taste and have real-life consequences for people of faith,’ they wrote when discussing the representation of Mormonism in the media.
‘While this is not new, a number of recent productions depict lifestyles and practices blatantly inconsistent with the teachings of the Church.
‘Others irresponsibly mischaracterize the safety and conduct of our volunteer missionaries,’ the statement continued.
‘We understand the fascination some in the media have with the Church, but regret that portrayals often rely on sensationalism and inaccuracies that do not fairly and fully reflect the lives of our Church members or the sacred beliefs that they hold dear.’
The cast already contains a number of controversial figures, including influencer Whitney Leavitt, who was slammed in 2021 for doing a TikTok dance next to her ailing baby in the NICU.
The Mormon mom-of-two is still raising eyebrows online, most recently getting hammered by some of her Mormon followers for promoting a sex toy on Instagram
The series is produced by the team behind Netflix’s My Unorthodox Life, which followed designer Julia Haart after leaving her strict orthodox Jewish community behind to become a hotshot in the fashion world.
‘The scandalous world of a group of Mormon mom influencers implodes when they get caught in the midst of a swinging sex scandal that makes international headlines,’ teases a press release.
‘Now, their sisterhood is shook to its core. Faith, friendship and reputations are all on the line.
‘Will #MomTok be able to survive and continue to give the rulebook a run for its money, or will this group fall from grace?’
The group first came to national attention in 2022 when Mormon TikTok star Taylor Frankie Paul (pictured) exposed her swinging friend group on social media.
Taylor lost her husband and father of her two children Tate Paul (pictured) after she broke one of the rules in their ‘soft swinging’ arrangement.
The 30-year-old was also arrested last year after a drunken domestic dispute with her new boyfriend resulted in her five-year-old daughter Indy accidentally being hit with a chair.
The cast already contains a number of controversial figures, including influencer Whitney Leavitt.
The momfluencer sparked extreme backlash in late 2021 after she performed a TikTok dance to a Kendrick Lamar song in the NICU next to her ailing newborn, who was hooked up to breathing tubes and suffering from a respiratory issue.
The Mormon mom-of-two is still raising eyebrows online, most recently getting slammed by her own followers for promoting a sex toy on Instagram.
‘Well … I’m LDS and I believe sex is for only making babies not for fun,’ commented one.
‘Is she the dancer that was dancing with her baby on critical care?’ quizzed another.
The Mormon monfluencers first came to national attention in 2022, when TikTok star Taylor Frankie Paul, now 30, publicly revealed that she was part of a group of Utah couples who indulged in ‘soft swinging’ – a practice where partners are swapped but only with the understanding that they do not have full penetrative sex.
But Taylor caused a sensation when she admitted that she had broken the cardinal rule and ended up losing her husband and father of her two children Tate Paul, who divorced her over the incident.
She also lost a lot of her friends, who turned on her and denied their involvement in the couple-swapping situation.
