The first season of Hulu’sThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wivestaught us that drama on TikTok could translate to a series, and season 2 is on its way to prove that we haven’t even scratched the surface with these Mormon moms.The Secret Lives of Mormon Wivesseason 1had enough action for most series' entire runs, let alone its first season. There were make-ups, break-ups, an unplanned pregnancy, and even an arrest on camera.The Secret Lives of Mormon Wivesseason 2has a lot to live up to.
The cast is mostly filled with familiar faces, with one glaring exception: ablonde TikTok mom, Miranda McWhorter,is coming aboard to set the record straight, even though nobody thought she would. The cast members areThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’TaylorFrankie Paul, Demi Engemann, Miranda, Jen Affleck, Jessi Ngatikaura, Layla Taylor, Mayci Neeley, Mikayla Matthews, and Whitney Leavitt.Miranda was part of the original #MomTok group, and her involvement in the “Mormon soft swinging” scandal in the group was why she didn’t appear. Apparently,the show’s success lured Miranda back into the swing of things.
Taylor Frankie Paul
The Queen Bee, The Reason #MomTok Blew Up
There’s noTheSecret Lives of Mormon Wiveswithout Taylor Frankie Paul. She’s the reason the Mormon swinging scandal blew up, and the reason they have a show in the first place.
Taylor’s been the most outspoken member of #MomTok, and also its most problematic.
Taylor, 30, and her friends found a wholesome audience when they were just a bunch of Mormon moms dancing on TikTok. They grew in popularity, until Taylor’s divorce made rumors swirl.
In 2022, Taylor blew the lid off the #MomTok swinging scandal when she announced her divorce from husband Tate Paul. Facing allegations of cheating, Taylor took to TikTok live and exposed the #MomTok swinging scandal to clear her own name. Taylor appeared on an episode ofThe Viall Filespodcast in 2024 and explained her motivation.
“So I got online, not thinking at all, but like, ‘Hey yes, I did do this, but we were also all hooking up just the other night.’ … There was a lot more to the story than just I am some sort of home wrecker.”
The resulting media frenzy resulted in the Hulu reality show, andTaylor continued to be the focal point of the story. Her on-again-off-again relationship with Dakota Mortensen (the two welcomed son Ever True in 2024; he joins Taylor’s other two children with Tate: Indy and Ocean) was the reason for her dramatic arrest, which was caught on camera for the show.She and Dakota continue to confuse fanswith the status of their relationship, as they were most recently spotted canoodling at Stagecoach, asTaylorposted about on Instagram, referring to Dakota as her"coparent."
Demi Engemann
Demi Returns From Season 1
Demi is a returning cast member fromThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wivesseason 1. She’s married to Bret Engemann, and there’s a 16-year age gap between the two of them. Demi and Bret have three kids between them.
Demi, 30, wasn’t part of the original #MomTok dance group that blew up after the swinging scandal. She joined a little later, becoming a presence in the other moms' videos and getting a spot on the reality show. Reality TV is nothing new to Demi and Bret. Bret has ties to multiple reality shows and stars. His first wife, Angie Harrington, has appeared onThe Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, and he was initially cast on Clare Crowley’s season ofThe Bachelorette, but ended up leaving after he began dating Demi.
WhileThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wiveshasn’t begun airing, there’s already some drama due to the Wives' appearanceon another Hulu reality show,Vanderpump Villa. Several of the wives take a trip to stay at Lisa Vanderpump’s luxurious Italian villa, and Demi forms a bond with Marciano Brunette, one of Lisa’s employees. While Demi maintains nothing inappropriate happened, Marciano said that he was uninvited to aVanderpump Villaevent because “a 30yo Mormon wife’s scared I’ll tell her husband the truth.” Demi has denied any wrongdoing, so unless Marciano has receipts, this rumor might be put to bed.
Jen Affleck
Jen’s Return Wasn’t A Given
Jen is another cast memberwho was not part of the #MomTok social media group, and not involved in the swinging drama. She was cast to be on the show, so she didn’t make her way to the group until later.Jen is married to her husband, Zac Affleck, and while they claimed they were related to actor Ben Affleck, many outlets, includingPeople, have debunked that claim.
Jen, 25, and Zac’s marriage was under scrutiny during SLOMW season 1, asZac seemed to be very controlling and overbearing towards his wife. They had a fight during a trip to Vegas because Zac threatened to divorce Jen after he found out she’d attended aChippendalesshow. Viewers weren’t sure whether Jen would leave Zac, but she didn’t, and the two announced they were expecting another child in February 2025. They are already parents to two kids, Nora and Lucas.
Jen’s return for season 2 wasn’t a given, considering the strain being on the show did to her marriage. We learned from Jen’s appearance onVanderpump Villathat she was"reluctantly"moving to Arizona to support Zac as he went to medical school. What that means for Jen’s future on the show remains to be seen, but she will be appearing in season 2.
Jessi Ngatikaura
Jessi Was Labeled A “Sinner”
Jessi is a fun addition to the SLOMW, having appeared on season 1 and returning for season 2. She’s married to her second husband, Jordan Ngatikaura, and they have three children, raising them in their blended family. Jessi is also a business owner.
As the owner of JZ Styles, Jessi, 32, is responsible for many of the iconic luscious locks of the Mormon moms.
While not an original member of #MomTok, Jessi joined after the swinging scandal and was able to capitalize on the group’s popularity to land a spot on the reality show. She’s often framed as the voice of reason, but she’s also on the “sinner” side of #MomTok, since she was raised Mormon, but she has more progressive views. For instance,Jessi drinks alcohol, which is normally not allowed in Mormon culture.
Layla Taylor
Layla Was An OG Member Of #MomTok
Layla is a popular cast member on SLOMW, and she’s been around a bit longer than most. Layla was part of the original dancing #MomTok group that blew up on TikTok before the swinging scandal. She claimed she and her then-husband, Clayton Wessel, were not part of the swinger drama, butLayla and Clayton have divorced since then. She is a mom of two and single, navigating how to date in the Mormon world while balancing motherhood and her friendships.
Layla, 24, made the trip to Italy as part of theVanderpump Villa/Secret Lives of Mormon Wivescrossover episodes, and she shared a steamy kiss with a staff member, bartender Sam Terry, during a friendly game ofTruth or Dare. Whether she and Sam’s connection was an Italian fling or whether they reconnected later isn’t known, but fans will surely be excited to see Layla and her dating adventures on SLOMW season 2. As one of the only single ones, Layla brings a different flavor to the show.
Mayci Neeley
Mayci Recently Announced A Memoir
Another original member of the #MomTok dance group that inspired the show, Mayci, 30, went to Brigham Young University on a tennis scholarship. Mayci was raised Mormon in California, which she has said is vastly different than being raised Mormon in Utah. Fans will get to learn more about Mayci and her journey when her memoir, “Told You So,” is released in the fall.
Mayci is a mom of two and is expecting her third child currently. Her oldest son, Hudson, was from a relationship with her partner, Arik Mack, who tragically died while she was pregnant in a car accident. Mayci married Jacob Neeley in 2018, and they have a daughter, Harlow.
Mikayla Matthews
Mikayla Was A Teen Mom
Mikayla, another original member of #MomTok before the show,was a somewhat mysterious presence during season 1. Mikayla suffers from an autoimmune disorder that affects her skin and causes flare-ups. But Mikayla, 25, didn’t let that stop her from dancing with the moms on TikTok and then appearing on the reality show.
Mikayla became pregnant at 16 by her older boyfriend, Jace. Today, Jace and Mikayla are married and are the parents to Tommy, Haven, and Beckham. Mikayla announced she’s pregnant with her fourth child in February.
Whitney Leavitt
Whitney Was The Villain Of Season 1
Acting as a “saint” to Taylor’s “sinner” persona,Whitney became a guilty pleasureon season 1 ofSecret Lives of Mormon Wives. Whitney had faced her own social media scandal before #MomTok did.
In 2021, she went viral for dancing in a hospital room while her son, Lee, was battling RSV and pneumonia.
Whitney, 31, spent much of season 1 dealing with the backlash from that video, complaining that she still got hateful comments online while everyone forgave Taylor for her part in the swinging scandal. Whitney was, arguably, difficult to like,but her presence was needed to act as a contrast to Taylor. Whitney, who started performing with the group before the swinging scandal, but denies ever taking part in it, initially left Utah after the scandal broke, eager to distance herself from it.
When she returned and wanted to reunite with the group, the others weren’t as welcoming, as Whitney can often project a “holier than thou” attitude. Whitney ended up leaving the group, but not the show. Whitney was pregnant with her third child during season 1, so it will be fun to see how she interacts with the group during season 2, and whether she’s welcomed back into #MomTok.
Miranda McWhorter
Miranda Is New To The Show, But Not To The Group
The sole new cast member this year was a shock to fans. Miranda, who was part of the original #MomTok group and allegedly involved in the swinging scandal, refused to take part in the show initially.She is Taylor’s ex-best friend, and her marriage to Chase McWhorter also ended due to the swinging scandal.
Chase was allegedly the husband that Taylor crossed the line with while practicing “soft swinging.” This, of course, caused her friendship with Miranda to explode, so Miranda’s appearance on the show and return to the group is hotly anticipated. Miranda must have been enticed by how popular the show became, and came on try and clear up some rumors on her side.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wivesseason 2 premieres on May 15 on Hulu.
