“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” has been anything but secret. The show has continually made headlines since its initial air time in 2024. A year later, we have watched the ups and downs of nine moms — Jennifer (Jen) Affleck, Demi Engemann, Whitney Leavitt, Mikayla Matthews, Mayci Neeley, Jessi Ngatikaura, Taylor Frankie Paul, Layla Taylor and the newest addition Miranda McWhorter — through two seasons of chaos, friendship and betrayals in MomTok — the subcategory of TikTok the wives created to show off their daily lives as mothers.
Not only can the moms be found through streaming platforms, but they can be found updating fans — or haters — on large social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat, as well as through brand deals or books, and most recently: “Dancing with the Stars” and “The Bachelorette.” These women continue to make an appearance on screens, representative of a modern approach to Mormon culture. But how did these women become a sensation?
Where the secrets all began
MomTok began with Frankie Paul and McWhorter creating TikToks together as a means to create a life for themselves outside of their new motherhood lifestyles. As the first few TikToks grew in popularity, Frankie Paul and McWhorter invited other Mormon moms in the Utah area to join in the content creation.
The similarity of the moms all identifying as Mormon created some controversy online. Viewers questioned their “Mormonhood” in regards to their choice in clothing attire — such as wearing crop tops as opposed to undergarments. Neeley spoke out in her recent autobiography “Told You So,” published Oct. 7 about redefining Mormon women. She hopes her story can reach women to discourage perfection within the faith and community.
On the outside, the relationships between the women seemed unwavering until May 2022. Frankie Paul took to TikTok Live to announce the divorce with ex-husband Tate Paul after six years of marriage due to the infamous “swinging scandal.”
Swinging scandal
The divorce followed Frankie Paul’s statement of a breach in her relationship with Paul. In her TikTok Live, Frankie Paul said, “we had an agreement. Like all of us, and I did step out of that agreement.” She further stated that no one involved in the swinging was innocent, and that “everyone has hooked up with everyone” in the situation. At parties, the couples involved were involved in “soft-swinging” — consensual physical interactions excluding sex — with other couples. The agreement stated that neither Paul nor Frankie Paul were to go off on their own with another person apart from the group. While not specified, Frankie Paul had broken that agreement.
Since the TikTok Live, Frankie Paul opened up about feeling the need to defend herself as a loyal wife despite the agreed upon break with her ex-husband. She further stated that she betrayed Paul, herself and what she believed in. She said that the scandal was the hardest time of her life, and she is working through the effects of having such a public break off.
“The Secrets Lives of Mormon Wives” picks up with the moms of MomTok after the effects of the TikTok live scandal.
Seasons recap
Season one surrounded itself around the rivalry between Frankie Paul and Leavitt. This ultimately ended with Leavitt leaving MomTok temporarily, midway through the season. The filming flipped between Leavitt’s life and the rest of the moms. Around this time, the group separated into two groups — the sinners and the saints. The saints included Leavitt, Jen Affleck, Matthews and Neeley; the sinners included Frankie Paul, Engemann, Ngatikaura and Layla Taylor. This divide led to the group questioning who was “more Mormon” and who lacked in their faith. After Layla Taylor’s divorce celebration, the group, minus Leavitt, went to Chippendales. This visit led to Jen Affleck and her husband Zac Affleck in turmoil. Frankie Paul’s pregnancy and relationship with Dakota Mortensen created similar relationship tension, the conflict hovering over the two seasons. The season concluded with Neeley giving Frankie Paul an Instagram confession of Mortensen cheating on Frankie Paul with another woman.
Season two welcomed McWhorter, Frankie Paul’s former best friend and co-creator of MomTok. Leavitt attempted to rejoin MomTok, but it was met with more tension. The rivalry shifted between Matthews and Leavitt, as well as the group turning against Jen Affleck for dishonesty claims. Jen Affleck announced her pregnancy, then shortly left the rest of the season for mental health concerns. The group became skeptical of Engemann after she was willing to cut Ngatikaura from the show for a larger pay and publicly discredited Ngatikaura’s hair styling business. The group began to notice trends of Engemann looking towards self-interest over the group’s needs. A cliff-hanger of season two concluded with claims of a potential affair between Engemann and “Vanderpump Villa”’s Marciano Brunette. Layla Taylor confronted Brunette, but he flipped the script. He stated the affair was with Ngatikaura, not Engemann.
Between seasons
Season two of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” concluded May 2025, but the world decided we couldn’t have a break from the wives for too long. Season two’s final episode held a reunion for MomTok early July. Nick Viall hosted the MomTok reunion covering the past two seasons. DadTok — the husbands or fathers of the women’s children — was also present backstage, joining towards the end on the hotseat.
Viall announced towards the end of the episode that one of the women would be chosen for season 34 of “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS). Nearly all women applied to be on DWTS, so it was a toss-up as to who would be chosen. Finally, Jen Affleck was announced as one of DWTS’s newest contestants, with an additional surprise of one other wife joining her on the show — Leavitt. Leavitt and Jen Affleck jumped with joy when it was announced the two would be on the show, where a remark was made about an unlikely friendship forming.
Jen Affleck is partnered with Jan Ravnik, the newest professional dancer to join the DWTS cast. Leavitt is partnered with Mark Ballas, long-time DWTS dancer. The two hold strong midway through the season.
Will Frankie Paul Save “The Bachelor” Franchise?
The series showed Frankie Paul and Mortensen’s up and down relationship fighting through cheating allegations. Frankie Paul officially ended the relationship, realizing there was no reconciliation possible between them. This announcement opened Frankie Paul to join the single world, but not for long. Frankie Paul was announced to be the newest bachelorette on Sept. 10. This announcement has led to a spectrum of responses — all giving Bachelor Nation more traction.
“The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” was Hulu’s most watched reality television season premiere in 2024. It held its reign in the top most streamed shows during its release, and held steady the following week. The show was also Hulu’s first series to reach these chart topper levels of viewership. Season two’s first week of release garnered five million views.
On the other hand, Bachelor Nation has undergone varying degrees of viewership. The first season of “The Bachelor” aired in 2002, reaching an average of just under 11 million viewers. “The Bachelorette” noticed this same trend. The first season reached a record average of 17 million viewers, but sharply dropped by season two with an average 10 million viewers. The steady decrease in viewership mirrors “The Bachelor,” and both franchises reflect the two to three million average viewers in more current seasons.
The collaboration of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and “The Bachelorette” may bring in viewers from both fan bases, with the potential of seven million views — similar to the viewing it held in the 2010s. However, the viewership is a wildcard, as some fans of the Mormon wives do not want to see a reality star in the bachelorette position, while others are stoked to watch the drama unfold. The show is slated to air early to mid 2026.
@taylorfrankiepaul Manifesting is real 🌹 we did it
♬ original sound – Taylor Paul
Where will these wives lead us next?
From dancing on stage to delivering roses, these wives are unstoppable on screen. “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” season three will air Nov. 13, answering questions regarding the alleged affair with Ngatikaura and Brunette, the state of Frankie Paul and Mortensen’s relationship up to its end, and more drama. I have been invested in the lives of these women for the past year, and am excited to see some answers to questions that have been looming over the entertainment world’s summer. You can stream the first two seasons of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” on Hulu, just in time for season three in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can show your support by voting for Leavitt and Jen Affleck on DWTS, or find them on their respective social media platforms.
