Two years after a sex scandal that rocked a group of Mormon mom influencers, the #MomTok community is stronger than ever.
The group of Utah-based Mormon TikTokers shows their friendships have withstood the scandal in an upcoming Hulu series, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The new show, which premieres on September 6, will show how the group of young Mormon wives came through the “soft swinging” shocker that ended at least one marriage.
Coming back from the swinging scandal
While the group initially fractured when the scandal first surfaced, they eventually regrouped.
It all started in 2022 when Taylor Frankie Paul announced she and her now ex-husband, Tate Paul, were getting a divorce. At the time, she revealed that they had been part of a “soft swinging” lifestyle with some of their friends, including some of her fellow #MomTok influencers. Apparently, “soft swinging” involves engaging in relationships with other married couples but stops short of penetrative sex.
“When you watch the full season, you’ll see it progressively get better, and us connect again,” influencer Whitney Leavitt told E! News. “But when it first happened, it definitely did break us up … We all just needed a minute.”
Costar Mayci Neeley echoed, “I think, too, it was scary for some of us because we were being called swingers and getting labeled.”
Whitney and Mayci both deny any involvement in the spouse swapping.
“We were all just a little concerned about our reputation[s] and judgment a little bit,” Mayci added. “I think the group split in half when it first happened, and now it’s slowly recovering over time.”
The new series will focus on the women coming back together and repairing their friendships, especially Taylor and Whitney.
“We definitely make up,” Whitney explained. “Our friendship’s closer than it has ever been. It’s so cool to see, throughout the season, the process of reconnection happening.”
Filming the show was healing
Though the group was initially hesitant to air their story, Mayci believes filming the show helped the friend group heal.
“Doing the show actually helped the progression of their relationships,” the mom of two reflected. “I think they are closer today because of filming the show and working through the feelings and traumas.”
So where does the #MomTok influencer community stand today?
While Whitney thinks there are “definitely ups and downs” in the friend group, Mayci looks at things a little differently.
“Whitney has a different perspective … based on what happens towards the end of the season,” Mayci shared. “For me, I’m close with all the girls. I feel like I start trusting them more and more the more [I] spend time with them. I feel like it is stronger.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premieres September 6 on Hulu.
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