Scandals That Eroded The Ladies Of The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives' Reputations

When most people outside the Church of Latter-day Saints think of Mormons, they probably imagine trad wives or missionaries in their button-down shirts and slacks and temple garments. Aside from their quirks, like an aversion to hot drinks and a penchant for baptizing the deceased, you may assume Mormons don't veer far outside the typical family-centered, conservative lifestyle. "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," though, will challenge everything you thought you knew about the LDS Church and Mormons.

The reality TV series delves into a faction of the LDS faith that has both shocked and intrigued the world. It follows the lives of a group of wives and mothers who are members of the LDS Church. The women first gained prominence for collaborating on dance and mom content videos on TikTok. After several of their video went viral, they became known collectively as MomTok. However, things took a strange turn when the women suddenly found themselves at the center of a soft swinging scandal.

As "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" reveals, the swinging was actually only the tip of the iceberg when it came to cast scandals. Taking on a "Real Housewives" vibe, there is seemingly no limit to the Mormon wives' feuds, scandals, and drama. From partner swapping to cheating allegations to urine fetishes, perhaps tragically, "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" stars have experienced some scandals from which their reputations won't recover.

"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" wouldn't exist without the unforgettable original scandal that first propelled the women from MomTok fame to widespread recognition. Beginning in 2020, Taylor Frankie Paul, Jennifer Affleck, Demi Engemann, Mayci Neeley, Jessi Draper, Mikayla Mathews, Whitney Leavitt, and Layla Taylor were enjoying TikTok fame inside the MomTok community. Then, things changed forever when Paul announced her divorce on TikTok Live in May of 2022. While discussing the reason for her divorce, she dropped a surprising tidbit about the MomTok group, revealing that some of them participated in soft swinging.

Swinging is when partners agree to engage in sexual activity outside of their relationship. Paul's definition of "soft" swinging was similar but included a rule not to go "all the way." According to her, she crossed a line during the soft swinging, which led to her divorce from her then-husband, Tate Paul. She shocked viewers when she confirmed that her fellow MomTok influencers were in on the soft swinging, stating bluntly, "Everyone has hooked up with like everyone" (via People).

Paul's confession perhaps made the scandal sound worse than it was. Most of the cast of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" has denied being involved in the scandal at all, and the only confirmed participants from the show are Paul and Miranda McWhorter. Meanwhile, McWhorter denied that the swinging went further than kissing. To this day, though, some may still harbor an exaggerated perspective of the incident, associating MomTok with polygamy, partner swapping, and sex parties.

Taylor Frankie Paul has always stood out from MomTok and "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" as the most famous. After all, she credits herself with founding MomTok and was the force behind the swinging confession that led to the creation of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives." With over two million Instagram followers and a penchant for drama, she's quite a force in the reality TV realm. Hence, as her on-again-off-again relationship with Dakota Mortensen seemingly ended, she was a shoo-in for "The Bachelorette."

Three days before Taylor Frankie Paul's "Bachelorette" season — which already had another shady topic in its cast – premiered, though, a video surfaced of Paul's domestic violence incident with Mortensen. On February 17, 2023, police arrested the MomTok influencer on charges of aggravated assault, domestic violence, and child abuse over an incident in which she allegedly threw chairs at Mortensen while her children were present. Paul ultimately pleaded guilty to a third-degree felony count of aggravated assault, while the court dismissed her other charges with prejudice.

By the time "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" premiered, most were aware of her arrest and the charges. However, in February 2026, filming for Season 5 was put on hold after police opened a new domestic assault investigation involving Paul and Mortensen. Then, just days before Paul's season of "The Bachelorette" premiere, TMZ published the video of the original domestic incident from February 2023, leading ABC to shelve the season. Since then, several of Taylor Frankie Paul's "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" co-stars have spoken out about her, with some condemning domestic violence.

As the cast of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" gained widespread attention for their show, five cast members were invited to appear on "Vanderpump Villa" Season 2, Episode 3, "Momtoks and Mormons, Oh My!" The episode saw two groups of people from wildly different backgrounds with a penchant for messy feuds and entanglements converge on screen; the drama arrived swiftly. Marciano Brunette, the lead server at Chateau Rosabelle in "Vanderpump Villa," quickly became flirtatious with several of the women. By the end of the crossover, allegations of harassment and infidelity surfaced and would leave a mark on both shows.

Perhaps the most shocking development was when Jessi Draper admitted to having an emotional affair with Brunette. At the time of the crossover, Draper was still married to her then-husband Jordan Ngatikaura and didn't interact significantly with Brunette. A month later, though, the pair met up in Los Angeles, and rumors swirled of a potential relationship. During "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" Season 2 finale, Brunette alleged the pair had an extensive relationship that was more than a one-night stand.

Initially, Draper denied the allegations, though she eventually admitted to having an emotional affair with Brunette. She admitted kissing him, but denied going any further. In March 2026, Ngatikaura filed for a divorce from Draper. The affair wasn't the sole cause of the divorce, as she also accused her ex-husband of emotional abuse. However, it did complicate matters, especially as she claimed on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast that Ngatikaura tried to blackmail her by threatening to release her text messages to Brunette publicly.

Feuds between cast members of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" are abundant, but none got as out of hand as the Jessi Draper and Demi Engemann feud that led to the infamous "Peegate" scandal. As you might have guessed from the swinging scandal, the MomTok members are incredibly close, to the point of sharing intimate details of their relationships. In Season 1, Whitney Leavitt gifted Engemann a box of Fruity Pebbles and teased that it was a reference to a sexual act about which Engemann had confided in her. While viewers speculated on what the cereal meant, Draper and the others didn't appear too interested in spilling the beans — until the "Vanderpump Villa" crossover stoked tensions.

During the "Mormon Wives" "Vanderpump Villa" episode, Marciano Brunette showed interest in both Draper and Engemann. His interactions with Engemann sparked allegations of sexual harassment, while Draper eventually admitted to her consensual emotional affair with him. When Lisa Vanderpump posted in defense of Brunette, the messy situation culminated in Engemann posting a comment insinuating that Draper felt some jealousy, writing that Draper was "somewhere punching air right now that Lisa is talking about me and not her" (via E! News).

To clap back, Draper posted an Instagram Story confirming what the Fruity Pebbles meant, writing, "I think I'm just going to go ahead and say that Grandpa Bret likes to drink her piss like it's dirty soda and he gulps it down like water, and that's what 'Fruity Pebbles' is" (via Cosmopolitan). To make things even more awkward, Engemann confirmed the allegations about her and husband Bret's sex act were true. It's the kind of secret most would take to their grave, but the fact that it is out in the world has led viewers to dub the unforgettable scandal "Peegate."

"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star Whitney Leavitt — who has had to debunk rumors about her husband – shares three children with Conner Leavitt. During her stint on "Dancing with the Stars," Whitney told People that her children motivated her on the "hardest rehearsal days." However, her dancing once garnered widespread backlash and criticism of her parenting. In December of 2021, Whitney's then-newborn son landed in the NICU, prompting commenters on TikTok to question what happened. 

Surprisingly, Whitney responded in dance in the NICU, with her young son lying visible in a hospital bed wearing a nasal cannula. To the tune of Kendrick Lamar's "Love," she danced energetically behind her baby, punching the air and clapping as she answers in captions over the video, "lil lee was taken in cause of low oxygen. He tested positive for RSV. Waiting for him to breath better on his own." Her video drew backlash as viewers questioned why she would film TikTok dances next to her ill child, who is struggling to breathe. The now-Broadway star ultimately deleted the video, but not before it was stitched and screen-recorded by countless viewers, including other TikTokers who reacted in shock and disdain to the incident.

@winnetkabowlingleague

#duet with @Whitney Leavitt this is actually insane #fyp #fypシ

♬ original sound – WBL

By the time "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" premiered in 2024, Leavitt claimed she still received trolling and hate comments about the video and questioned why the scandal wasn't as easily forgotten as the soft-swinging controversy. The video continues to follow her, especially since some of her co-stars allege she knowingly posted it for clout rather than as a misguided attempt to put a positive spin on her update about her child's improving condition.

If you never knew actor Ben Affleck had a Mormon cousin, you're not the only one. In "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," viewers were surprised when Jen Affleck claimed her last name wasn't a coincidence, and she was, indeed, related to Ben Affleck through her husband, Zac Affleck. However, her description of her alleged connection to the actor was quite vague. She told People, "He's my husband's cousin, but we've never met him. Zac's dad has [met him], when [Ben] was very little. I'm hoping to meet him one day, too!" Later, Jen boasted about being the original Jen Affleck before Jennifer Lopez married Ben in 2022.

Naturally, though, the claim also drew suspicion as viewers questioned if Ben Affleck was really related to Jen Affleck. It didn't take long for outlets like Vulture to research and find no apparent relationship between Zac's family and Ben's family. Still, it's unclear if the "Mormon Wives" star or her husband was responsible for the family claim. In Season 2, Jen says of Ben to her husband, "He is your second cousin" (via Today). However, Zac denies this. Jen pushes harder, claiming his family told her this.

Zac responds that it was only ever a joke and that Jen took it further, stating, "I've heard that as a joke. No one's ever claimed to have some kind of relationship with him besides you." Afterward, her husband claimed to producers that he didn't know whether he was related to Ben Affleck. One would assume it wouldn't be overly difficult to confirm whether his parents were cousins with the Hollywood legend, making it unclear whether it was willful or genuine ignorance that led to the embarrassing ordeal.

"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" Season 1 saw the gang head to Las Vegas to see the Chippendales and meet them backstage. However, the trip took an uncomfortable turn when Jen Affleck's husband, Zac Affleck, found out about their Chippendales experience and had a meltdown. Even after returning home, Zac continued rage texting her, including sending her threats of divorce.

The Chippendales fight put such marital strain on the pair that "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" Season 2 saw them living separately for a time while receiving therapy. Given how serious the incident was, viewers were shocked in Season 2, Episode 3, when Demi Engemann and Jessi Draper organized an impromptu Chippendales show, having the husbands in the group dress as dancers and perform lap dances for Jen.

The skit was clearly making light of the very serious marital incident, and based on Zac's expression, he wasn't too keen on the reminder. Engemann and Draper would later claim the skit was Jen's idea, though she claimed she had no clue of the plan. If she truly was in the dark, the skit was a mean move on Engemann and Draper's part that needlessly tried to stir up a subject that was already a sore spot between struggling spouses.

In "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" Season 1, Whitney Leavitt rivaled the strange nature of the "Peegate" scandal with a cake that had viewers raising their eyebrows. After learning she was pregnant with her third child, Leavitt found an unusual way to surprise her family. During a meal with her parents and siblings, she had her mother cut into a cake, where she found Leavitt's positive pregnancy test. While her family was delighted, her sister was a bit concerned, questioning, "Why did you put that in the cake?"

Even the producers questioned the decision, with one clarifying behind the camera, "Is this THE pee stick? The ACTUAL pee stick?" Leavitt confirmed it was the "pee stick," though she repeatedly pointed out that it had the cap on. Although she explained she wanted to be "creative" with the announcement, she admitted she may not have thought it through entirely. 

Viewers reacted even more harshly than Leavitt's sister, denouncing the stunt as diabolical.In an interview with The Cut, Leavitt defended the cake and confirmed that her family ate it. She explained she put the lid on the test and "Cloroxed" it before putting it in the cake. Still, she could've used a fake test or just placed the test in a Zip-loc bag to dispel any concerns. Although her family allegedly didn't mind, viewers won't be quick to forget Leavitt's infamous "pee stick" cake.

"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" Season 2 sees the MomTok influencers participate in a game of pregnancy roulette at Layla Taylor's suggestion. The game is a TikTok trend in which a group of women takes pregnancy tests, puts them in a container to mix them up, then each randomly selects one and reads the results. While it can be fun and surprising, most people should know not to suggest such a game when someone in the group is having fertility struggles.

Throughout the show, Demi Engemann has been open about her struggles to conceive with partner Bret Engemann. She often updates her friends on her journey, discussing every procedure and every time she and her husband land back at square one, not knowing what else to do. Hence, when Taylor suggested a game of pregnancy roulette on a New Orleans trip, Engemann instantly looked visibly uncomfortable, even warning, "This is a cruel prank because what if someone is and it's not me."

Unfortunately, her fears came true. During the scene, Engemann happened to pull out a positive pregnancy test. She gasped in shock, though her surprise turned to pain as the realization sank in that it was not hers. Her cast members gathered around her as she sobbed inconsolably after the incident. Viewers felt deeply for Engemann, especially those who could relate to her fertility struggles. Many have denounced Taylor's actions as a cold idea, though she insisted on the show that she thought it was just for fun and genuinely didn't think anyone was pregnant.

One of the biggest twists of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" Season 1 was Whitney Leavitt's dramatic exit from MomTok. Throughout the season, Leavitt had butted heads with Taylor Frankie Paul and Jessi Draper, and struggled to keep up with the friendship demands of the MomTok group. After missing Paul's baby shower, Leavitt left the MomTok group chat and later seemed to officially cut all ties with the group after skipping Mayci Neeley's product launch party.

On the one hand, one could understand Leavitt wanting to leave the group to focus on her family and well-being. However, by Season 2, she surprised viewers again by rejoining the group and inviting MomTok to her baby shower. The MomTok women were hesitant to embrace Leavitt again, especially when they began to suspect she only returned to better her chances of getting on "Dancing with the Stars" — a show that has seen incredible transformations, including Leavitt's own. Surprisingly, Leavitt readily admitted their suspicions were correct.

In a confessional on "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," she said, "I was always in MomTok, still a part of that group. I just really needed a break, but then I heard from my team that Dancing With the Stars was going to cast someone from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and that's a motivator. I'll come back for that." She insisted there was "no shame" in using MomTok to get what she really wanted, though it led Jen Affleck to question if her friendship with any of them was "genuine." Affleck was particularly put off since "Dancing with the Stars" was also originally her dream as well. MomTok may be a business opportunity for Leavitt, but that doesn't mean the rest of the group views it as such.