Liann May, the mother of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star Taylor Frankie Paul, has spoken out against the "hypocritical" backlash her family has faced following the release of the show's trailer. May argues that the criticism contradicts the teachings of the Mormon church, which emphasizes forgiveness and understanding.
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Mormon Mom Defends Family Amid 'Hypocritical' Backlash over 'Mormon Wives' Reality Show
Liann May, the mother of controversial TikTok influencer Taylor Frankie Paul, has taken to social media to defend her family against the backlash they have received after the trailer for the upcoming reality show "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" aired.
In a TikTok video posted earlier this week, May addressed the criticism she has witnessed online, calling it "contradicting" to the beliefs of the Mormon church.
Mormon Mom Defends Family Amid 'Hypocritical' Backlash over 'Mormon Wives' Reality Show
"What really makes me irritated recently, I see all the backlash from them, the comments they receive on social media... I recently received one that I thought was very interesting and contradicting," May said in the video. "They stated that we, my family and I, should distance ourselves from being with the church and being Mormon because we're not Mormon enough."
May went on to point out that "a lot of things happen in the church and a lot of sins are committed every single day." She emphasized that "nobody is perfect" and that it is hypocritical to judge others for their actions.
"Before somebody should go out and judge somebody else or state that they shouldn't be Mormon, or they're not active enough, maybe they should look within themselves and see if they're doing the things that align with the church," May concluded.
Followers praised May for her bravery in speaking out.
"Preach! We don’t sit in church on Sunday because we’re perfect, we sit there because we are all broken!," one fan commented.
"This is the exact thing I wish more people would understand," another wrote. "And not to mention the show hasn’t even aired yet. So who knows!"
The remarks come shortly after the trailer for the upcoming reality show aired. Paul sent shock waves through the TikTok world in 2022 when she announced her divorce from ex-husband Tate Paul and shared more of their "soft swinging" lifestyle, which included some of the friends featured in her videos.
The new Hulu series follows the aftermath of the sex scandal that rocked TikTok and turned a few dancing influencers into moms with major incomes.
"The scandalous world of a group of Mormon mom influencers implodes when they get caught in the midst of a swinging sex scandal that makes international headlines," the show's description reads. "Now, their sisterhood is shook to its core. Faith, friendship and reputations are all on the line. Will #MomTok be able to survive and continue to give the rulebook a run for its money, or will this group fall from grace?"
"I love the Mormon church, but there are a lot of rules that we have to follow," Mikayla Matthews said during a confessional interview. "We were raised to be these housewives for the men, serving their every desire."
"Well, I'm like, f--- this," Paul said before a video montage played clips from her TikTok days. "I created MomTok. It's a group of Mormon moms making TikToks. It started with Whitney [Leavitt], Mayci [Neeley], Mikayla [Matthews] and I.""
"We're breaking a norm," Leavitt said. "We're trying to change a stigma of gender roles in the Mormon culture."
The women "blew up" overnight and went from a few million followers to nine million in no time, simply from their group dance routines and relatable comic sketches.
"Then it just turned into this whole group is swinging with each other," Matthews said.
"No one is innocent. Everyone has hooked up with, like, everyone," Paul said in a TikTok clip shared in the trailer.
Drama reached a tipping point when body camera footage showed the night Paul was arrested in February 2023 on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence charges. She was charged with aggravated assault (third-degree felony), two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child (third-degree felony), child abuse (class A misdemeanor) and criminal mischief (class B misdemeanor).
May's defense of her family highlights the complex relationship between faith, community, and personal choices within the Mormon church. As "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" airs, it will likely continue to stir debate about the boundaries of acceptable behavior and the nature of redemption.
