Soft Swinging.
A group of TikTok Mormon moms called “MomTok” is part of a scandal accusing them of “swinging” with each other’s partners sexually. Did this tear the group apart? Can “MomTok” survive this?
This group of Mormons had a lot of secrets to share–whether it was from their pasts, their scandals, or even their relationships. On September 6, 2024, Hulu released a new TV show, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” This has not been taken well by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which they were all a part.
Since they are Mormons, there are a lot of laws they have to follow: donate 10% of their income to charity, build up the kingdom of God, and dedicate their Sundays to God. Additionally: no alcohol, no drugs, no foul language, no coffee, no tea, and no gambling. They have to be perfect in the eyes of the church, or they will be excommunicated.
This did not matter to the group of Mormon moms who created MomTok. They go out partying on the weekends, drink alcohol, and more. “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” is made to show other women how empowered they truly are, defying traditional values that discourage women from becoming breadwinners in the relationship.
The series has eight episodes, each about 45 minutes, a very reasonable length of time. When I was watching the show, it didn’t feel like 45 minutes because of how entertaining it was.
During episode one, viewers are introduced to the main “MomTok” girls who are a part of every episode. But the group is split up between “sinners” and “saints.” The “sinners” are Taylor, Demi, Jessi, and Layla while the “saints” are Whitney, Jen, Mayci, and Mikayla.
However, episode one reveals the huge scandal that involved soft swinging in the group. Taylor was mostly affected by this and actually came out on the internet and told her side of the story. This broke up the group and caused Whitney and her whole family to move to Hawaii to stay away from the drama.
But doing this brought more drama to Whitney because her husband was brought to light on the internet, showing he was on the dating app Tinder, even though Whitney acts like her family is a perfect Mormon household.
Getting deeper into the season, viewers see a lot of broken friendships grow, like Taylor and all the girls who become much closer, especially when she opens up about being pregnant with her new boyfriend, Dakota. At the same time, Whitney’s friendships crumble to the point that she leaves the text group chat with all the girls.
All of the real drama starts during episodes six and seven when the girls, except Whitney, take a trip to Las Vegas. Since at the time Taylor was 8 months pregnant, Dakota came on the trip but decided to take Jen’s husband Zac. This didn’t sit well with any of the girls, and both Dakota and Zac ruined the vacation for their significant others during this trip.
I didn’t like that the other girls were upset about this. I thought it was caring for Dakota wanting to come to make sure that Taylor was okay, and that if she did go into labor he would be there for her. On the other hand, I didn’t love that Zac was going; he really controlled Jen and told her if she did anything wrong that he would divorce her. But then talked about how he’s going to gamble while in Vegas which is a big “no” in the Mormon community.
Towards the end of the first season, we hear a secret Dakota may be hiding from Taylor that may or may not be true. Though the season ends on a cliffhanger, viewers still find out very big details about the secret.
After watching “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” for the second time, I feel they did well portraying all of the girls’ personalities and the struggles they went through during the show. They also focused more on all of their fights, rather than how at the end of the day, they were all friends and planned to stay friends – except for Whitney.
However, I wish they would have talked more about Jessi, Layla, Mayci, and Mikayla because they had stories to share about their personal life experiences. I know it’s hard to talk about all eight of them in only an eight-episode season.
The only bad note I could give them is that it ended on a cliffhanger. Even though people will want to watch season two, I feel they didn’t need to tease viewers with a cliffhanger because of how interesting and exciting season one was.
But you won’t have to wait long. Hulu just announced that season two is coming out in spring of 2025.
New reality show exposes Mormon community scandal
New hulu tv show introduces a lot of scandals people wouldn’t think Mormons would be doing
About the Contributor
Kelcie Wagner, Sports and Entertainment Editor
Since enrolling in journalism as a freshman, senior Kelcie Wagner has taken on several different roles as a member of the Spotlight staff, proving to be a prominent leader and integral part of the editorial team. She is currently a fourth-year staff reporter, second-year Entertainment editor, and first-year Sports editor.
Wagner initially decided to take journalism because of her strong interest in writing, but she also credits her eighth grade English teacher, Mrs. Dana Kleppinger, who encouraged Kelcie to join the Spotlight, as she believed she would be a perfect fit.
Four years later, Wagner is glad she stuck with it, as it has been a rewarding journey. Her favorite parts about her experience have been creating memories with the staff and sharing the Spotlight with the school community on distribution days.
“All of the memories I shared with the editors will stick with me for a lifetime,” Wagner said.
Outside of journalism, Wagner spent 13 years as a cheerleader, and believes the sport has left a lasting impact on her.
“I have cheered since kindergarten. I originally joined the sport because I wanted to take after my sister, but as I continued to do it, I really enjoyed it,” Wagner said. “After doing [Cheer] for so long, it has definitely made me the person I am today and taught me so many life lessons.”
During high school, Wagner also was a part of both the Winter and Spring Track & Field teams, throwing shotput and discus.
“Being a part of track has been the biggest blessing of my life. Both the team and the coaches are always very supportive,” said Wagner. “I will forever remember the memories I have made with the team, and especially with the other throwers.”
Wagner has also been a member of a lot of clubs during her time at Southern Lehigh. Since she likes to be involved, this includes Student Council, Varsity Club, Mini-thon, Angel 34, and Morgan’s Message.
Wagner also credits her teachers, especially art teacher Mrs. Stephanie Donald, for making SLHS feel like a second home.
“Mrs. Donald has always made me feel continuously supported no matter what, and I will truly remember her kindness for the rest of my life,” Wagner said. “Throughout knowing her since freshman year, she has never failed to make me laugh or make my day ten times better, whether I am having a good day or not.”
Next year, Wagner will attend Penn State University, where she plans to study security risk analysis.
“I have always wanted to do something with the government, whether that was being a police officer or a desk job,” Wagner said. “But I settled on security risk analysis because one of my best friends told me about it, and I researched more about it and fell in love with it.”
As she prepares to move on to the next chapter of her life, Wagner leaves a piece of advice for underclassmen.
“Don’t take anything for granted,” she said. “Even if you have two years left of high school, live every moment out like it will be your last because nothing lasts forever.”