With the most recent scandal from Taylor Frankie Paul the timeline that made “MomTok” aka The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (SLOMW) famous has been brought back up in conversation. As a Utah native, I have always taken a special interest in Mormon culture, from the popular dirty soda chain Swig to the Temple rituals.
MomTok (Mom + TikTok) initially started on the popular platform TikTok as a way for these women to break away from the patriarchy. Yet, the group is constantly surrounded by scandals. Primarily due to patriarchal standards, when breaking stereotypes, especially within a rigid system, there are bound to be reactions and consequences. Paul is typically on most headlines when it comes to SLOMW scandals, but that does not mean there cannot be something said for each woman.
In May of 2022 Taylor Frankie Paul went on a live stream that started it all. She admitted that her and her then-husband, Tate Paul, had been engaging in what she described as “soft swinging.” She also stated that a few of the MomTok members had joined them, saying “everyone has hooked up with everyone.” While several of the other moms had denied the allegation, Miranda and Chase McWhorter had taken accountability (which happens to be this group’s favorite word) and admitted their part in the situation. Both Paul’s and McWhorter’s relationships sadly ended in divorce.
More recently, Whitney Levitt and Jen Affleck went on Dancing with the Stars this past season. Which was a great move on Disney’s end to bring in viewership and keep MomTok in headlines. Levitt had advanced further than Affleck and even landed a deal with the Broadway musical “Chicago.” Levitt, who was once deemed “the villain” of MomTok, has now become one of the most loved members. Others prefer to maintain a lower profile when it comes to the world of scandals such as Macyi Neely and Mikayla Matthews tend to keep out of the headlines, except when it comes to protecting their peace and getting the truth from others. Neely does have a memoir out which many fans online have praised the work for her grit, honesty, and determination.
Layla Taylor has recently spoken out about her addiction to GLP-1s and her struggle with an eating disorder. This is not something easy to admit, especially on the world stage. We, the viewers, have known about her struggle with her mental health and seeing her continue to grow is extremely admirable. Demi Engeman is a sporadic member of the cast who may or may not have had relations with Vanderpump Villas, Marciano Brunette. While we will never know the truth about their relationship, we do know Jessie Draper did have an affair with Brunette. One that untimely brought light to her marital issues with Jordan Ngatikaura. We were able to see the toxic cycle of their relationship and conflicts on screen during season 4.
On September 10th, 2025, it was announced that Paul would be on the next season of The Bachelorette, a choice which most MomTok and The Bachelor fans applauded. However, before the season started, TMZ got ahold of videos that Dakota Mortensen had taken during a fight he and Paul had gotten into in February of 2023. This fight was publicly known, and Paul was arrested on domestic violence charges. It was even documented on the first season of SLOMW, as the viewers saw footage of a 911 call and body cam footage of Paul in hysterics.
Mortensen, who is the father of Ever True, has had an on again off again relationship with Paul. Which has caused the pair to have an extremely complicated relationship. There is no doubt that Mortensen and Paul do care for each other, yet they are not good together for the other, or their child. Mortensen has repeatedly cheated on Paul, which has caused her emotional distress, which she has claimed to be working on. The video that got leaked was extremely heartbreaking. Especially because Paul’s eldest child was present in the room.
Yet, the timing of the leak is interesting, as Paul was due to go onto The Bachelorette. With the leak of the video ABC decided to pull Paul’s season. Which is a major loss for both parties. There are theories that Mortensen leaked the video around the season premiere due to his jealousy. Especially seeing that the two had continued their off again on-again relationship after the 2023 incident. Many fans online have claimed they want to see accountability from Paul, which she legally has. Obviously, the extent of the incident was not known until recently, which has caused her to face extreme backlash on social media.
Paul is currently going through a custody battle with Mortensen. Tate Paul had also ordered a protective order for their shared children. It is sad to see that Paul cannot handle her anger, especially when it is around her children. Not only does it cause long term emotional damage for her children, but it has caused physical damage for her daughter.
While the women of MomTok have survived many scandals, one cannot help but ask herself, will MomTok survive? There is no doubt America loves reality TV so there is no doubt in my mind these women will survive, just will it be with or without Taylor Frankie Paul. It has been interesting watching the rise and potential fall of these women. Since there are children involved, one can only hope for the best.