Kriti Mehrotra
With Hulu’s ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ truly living up to its title in every way conceivable, we get a reality series we can only describe as utterly entertaining and intriguing. That’s because it revolves around the group known as #MomTok, comprising eight Church of Latter-Day Saints members who are also thriving influencers as they navigate their day-to-day lives. They are Utah residents Taylor Frankie Paul, Whitney Leavitt, Mikayla Mathews, Mayci Neeley, Jennifer “Jen” Affleck, Demi Engemann, Jessi Ngatikaura, and Layla Taylor Wessel.
Taylor Frankie Paul is Super Focused on Her Family These Days
While it’s true Taylor has arguably caused the most scandals on #MomTok despite being one of its founding members, she genuinely seems to have turned over a new leaf for her blended family. In fact, she left the world of soft swinging behind following her divorce from ex-husband Tate and appears to have been managing her alcohol intake better following her 2022 arrest for aggravated assault on her partner, Dakota Mortensen.
Instead, Taylor is now evidently doing her best as not just a partner but also a mother of three and a social media content creator to provide for her loved ones to the best of her abilities. The 30-year-old is still not ready for marriage again as Dakota, the father of her third-born, Ever True (March 19, 2024), wants her to be, but she seems happy nonetheless, which is all that matters in the long run.
Whitney Leavitt is Expanding Her Wings in Every Way
Although no longer a permanent member of #MomTok following a lot of interpersonal drama with the other girls, Whitney has been thriving in her work by keeping her intentions clear. She’s determined to build a platform that promotes family values, healthy intimate habits, as well as the importance of a sound support system, and that’s precisely what she has been doing. As if that’s not enough, she also has dreams of making a name for herself in the entertainment world as an actress, so she’s undertaking all possible opportunities to make it happen, including a move to California for a few months in 2023.
There has been drama regarding her union with her husband, Conner Leavitt, in the past, with him having profiles on dating apps throughout their marriage, but they appear to be stronger than ever these days. After all, not only is she pregnant with their third child as of writing—who is due in October—but she is also supposedly hoping they can one day own a sustainable farm together.
Mikayla Mathews is Still a Happily Married Working Mom of Three
As another original member of #MomTok and one of the more active members of the LDS church, Mikayla’s priority has always been her family, and that hasn’t changed despite all her success. Whether it be TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube, she has millions of views on every platform thanks to the range of her content. She focuses on her family, her faith, her lifestyle, her undiagnosed skin condition, as well as the latest trends.
The fact this now 24-year-old got married at the age of 17 and is currently a mom of three also intrigues a lot of viewers, but she has made it evident her husband Jace has been supportive of her work at every step of the way. He might not like being in her videos, but he does begrudgingly agree to participate from time to time and lets her do as she pleases as long as it remains true to who they are and their lives as progressive Mormons.
Mayci Neeley is a Woman of Many Hats
Since Mayci has always been quite open about her past abusive relationships, she also doesn’t shy away from highlighting how happy her marriage with Jacob Neely makes her. Their open-mindedness, complete trust in one another, and respect for each other’s inherent individual differences honestly make their little family thrive. We say little family since these travel enthusiasts have two children, but she has also since revealed that they are currently hoping to expand more and are thus undergoing IVF treatments.
Coming to Mayci’s professional standing, apart from being a content creator who strives to build a positive, supportive platform for women everywhere, she is also a proud entrepreneur. In fact, this Sinner Sunday Confessional creator is the brains behind Baby Mama, a brand of natal nutrition gummies for all mothers as well as future mothers so as to ensure they care for themselves while also caring for their little ones.
Jennifer “Jen” Affleck is Building a New Life For Herself
It was in August 2024 that Jennifer said goodbye to #MomTok for good and relocated to New York so as to continue supporting her husband’s dream of becoming a surgeon one day. Zac Affleck, a second cousin to actors Ben and Casey Affleck, had been accepted to his dream medical school, so it was an opportunity they simply couldn’t pass up. Therefore, they packed their bags and their two kids to start anew in the hopes it would be better for them in the long run.
However, despite all the issues this couple has faced in the past with his controlling tendencies as well as gambling issues despite her being the main provider, Jen is glad Zac is by her side. The 25-year-old knows nobody has ever loved her as much as he does, even if they got married at 18, so she’s happy to figure out a way to make her job as an influencer work in the Big Apple. She knows it’ll offer her new opportunities, and she seems excited to grab them with both hands.
Demi Engemann is Proud of Who She is and Her Family
If there’s one thing Demi knows for sure, it’s that being a divorced Mormon is not easy in any way, shape, or form, but her past experiences have taught her that she has to take control of her own life. Therefore, today, this 30-year-old is happily married to Bret Engemann despite their 17-year age difference and is even glad to share a blended family of three children with him. His support of her work, her need for some necessary girl time, her passion for ketamine treatments, as well as her decision to be a progressive Mormon is evident, making them quite strong in every sense.
Jessi Ngatikaura is a Proud Entrepreneur
Like Demi, Jessi is a previously divorced woman with a new, blended family with her husband Jordan and their three kids, and she couldn’t be happier with her personal life at the moment. However, apart from this facet, there are two other things that bring immense joy to her, and that’s being an influencer as well as a professional hairstylist with her own business. This 32-year-old is actually the proud owner of JZ Styles, which is not only a styling place but also a hair school and a hair extension company that helps people feel their best authentic selves.
Layla Taylor is Making the Most of Her Single Life
While being a divorced mom of two young boys at the age of 22 isn’t quite the norm, it is Layla’s reality and one that she is inadvertently glad to be living because of the gift of her children. However, it’s evident she is also glad to be single and finally be able to come into her own and understand who she really is while also continuing to be a part of the Church of Latter Day Saints. After all, the church is one of the first places that ever made her feel like she belonged, so she’s determined to continue being an active member while also being an independent, modern woman of today. She has also since made it clear that she’s not really looking to date or have any sort of relationship at the moment, but she won’t shut it down if it does come into her life.
