Kriti Mehrotra
With Mikayla Matthews being a devout member of the Church of Latter-day Saints, an influencer, and a progressive woman, her life is far from what most would usually consider ordinary. That’s how she even ended up being a part of Hulu’s ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,’ right alongside her local religious friend group of content creators who actually go by MomTok. However, if we’re being honest, despite all the interpersonal group drama, her most intriguing relationship has always been with her husband and the father of her three children, Jace Terry.
Mikayla and Jace’s Romance Had a Rocky Beginning
According to a TikTok video Mikayla herself posted in September 2023, she first came across fellow Mormon Jace when she was merely 16 and almost immediately started a relationship with him. It seemingly didn’t matter to her that he was five years older because of the way they connected, unaware she’d fall pregnant less than a month later and then go on to build an entire family. “I moved out of my mom’s house and in with my sister when I was 15 years old,” she candidly penned in the video before adding, “I met a guy when I was 16 at a very low point in my life.”
Mikayla continued, “I found out I was pregnant after less than a month of knowing each other. I decided to keep the baby, told him, and he was 110% supportive, and we went from there.” Unfortunately, she did have to drop out of high school owing to her condition and ultimately finish her degree online, all the while also battling severe depression throughout the pregnancy. Jace stood by her side every step of the way, but it was still extremely hard for her until their firstborn, Beckham Terry, came into this world early on the morning of July 3, 2017.
Mikayla admittedly continued to have a mix of both good days and bad days as the months passed, only for her baby boy to become “the driving force” that kept her going. She once even penned, “he gives me so much strength, his smiles give me so much happiness, and his snuggles give me so much comfort. I love him with all my heart and will try my hardest to make him feel loved and needed every day for the rest of his life.” As for her relationship with Jace, that continued to blossom too, and they actually blissfully tied the knot in a beach-side ceremony surrounded by loved ones less than nine months later in March 2018.
Little did young Mikayla and Jace know they would fall pregnant again a few months later, just to welcome their beautiful first daughter, Haven Terry, on August 31, 2019. This was actually followed by the 19/20-year-old’s social media platforms blowing up, her becoming a part of MomTok, and getting to show the world Mormons can be modern too. In fact, she rather quickly became the breadwinner of the Terry household, all the while continuing to wholly dedicate herself to Jace as well as their three kids — their second daughter, Tommie Terry, was born on November 15, 2021.
Mikayla and Jace Proudly Stand Together Even Today
Despite all the scandals of MomTok, the speculations on their beginning, and them admittedly being among the more religious ones in the group, the Terrys have been able to overcome every challenge thrown their way. That’s because there is genuine trust, respect, as well as open communication between them, allowing them to be exactly who they are and have fun among friends while also adhering to their beliefs plus boundaries. The prime example of this is in season 1 — Jace truly had no issues with Mikayla going on a girl’s trip to Las Vegas, but he did express his discomfort when he learned they had been surprised with a Chippendales show.
Jace didn’t question Mikayla’s character or threaten divorce — as Zac Affleck did with his wife Jennifer — but he did make it clear he was not happy, so Mikayla chose to return to their Airbnb for the night. Things didn’t get blown out of proportion, and they seemingly didn’t even have an argument in any way, shape, or form; they simply reached a compromise upon hearing one another. Many fans also find it weird that he doesn’t really like being in her content videos, but that’s honestly his personal preference, and the couple has actually since made light of it with satirical content, as seen above and below.
In other words, Mikayla and Josh are stronger than ever at the moment — they won’t let anything or anyone affect their deep-rooted connection or how they plan on raising their young family. Neither of them has ever really spoken up about the secret to their success, but her platforms make it evident that it has to do with them continuing to prioritize each other and their foundation. From undertaking activities like going on a run or a walk together every morning to taking significant vacations over the years — with or without their growing children — these Utah natives do it all.
In fact, Mikayla and Jace have been to Hawaii, China, New York, Costa Rica, Florida, California, as well as Germany since they first got together, and they still work hard to balance their personal and professional lives. He even supports the 24-year-old as she continues to deal with her mental issues plus her undiagnosed skin condition. We should also mention she has never had any issues with the age gap between them, so Jace has never even been questioned for engaging with a minor because it was all consensual. Plus, even if he was, Utah has the Romeo and Juliet law, wherein young adults are saved from harsh consequences if they are no more than ten years older than the minor and the latter fully consented to be with them.
Read More: Demi and Bret Engemann: Are The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Stars Still Married?
