Mikayla Matthews has pledged to donate money she would have made for filming The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 6 to a domestic violence charity following her exit from the show.
“When I said there’s no amount of money worth changing my stance on all of this, I meant it,” Mikayla, 26, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, September 17. “So I will be donating the money I would have made from the rest of the season to the National Children’s Alliance, which supports children and families affected by multiple forms of child abuse.”
The former SLOMW cast member shared a photo of herself as a child, explaining that “this little girl is a huge part of why this whole situation has mattered so much to me and why I haven’t been able to stay silent about it and will never stop talking about it.”
“It’s more for me personally than leaving something I didn’t feel right being a part of,” she clarified. “It’s about using the money I’m willing to lose to support something I deeply care about and has affected every part of my life to this day. I meant what I said, and I want my actions to reflect it and continue to reflect it.”
Mikayla encouraged anyone who agrees with her to donate directly to the National Children’s Alliance.
On Monday, September 14, Mikayla confirmed that she will “not be continuing the show at this moment,” revealing that her decision was tied to costar Taylor Frankie Paul’s potential return for season 6.
“I’ve said from the beginning of this that I’m not comfortable being a part of something that continues to platform behavior I don’t agree especially given my own experience growing up in a home with multiple forms of abuse,” she explained via Instagram. “There’s no amount of money worth going against my morals or changing the stance I’ve had since I first saw and heard the things that made me feel this strongly.”
Mikayla later attempted to “shut down any assumptions” about why she is leaving The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives after appearing in seasons 1 to 5.
“The only reason I’m leaving the show is because I was told a certain person was coming back … because it’s unethical and kids are involved,” Mikayla insisted on Tuesday, September 15. “I’m being put in an unfair position because of the things I’ve seen and heard that I don’t agree with. I filmed [season] 6 cause that person was not there. Then we were told she was coming back.”
Production was paused on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives in February when Taylor, 32, and her ex Dakota Mortensen were involved in an alleged domestic violence incident. No criminal charges were filed over the altercation. (Dakota, 33, and Taylor subsequently filed for temporary restraining orders against one another, and he received temporary custody of their 2-year-old son, Ever.)
Taylor has been locked in separate custody battles with Dakota over Ever and with her ex-husband Tate Paul over their two children, daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 6. It was reported this week that Taylor had her parenting time reduced by a Utah court after allegedly failing multiple drug tests in the last 60 days.
For her part, Taylor seemingly reacted to Mikayla’s SLOMW exit as well as hints that Layla Taylor and Mayci Neeley could soon follow.
“I stayed off my phone most of the day then got on just to see more videos directed to me and, as a group, they are STILL going and if I respond, I’m in the wrong,” she wrote over a mirror selfie on Monday. “The only reason I’m continuing the show is to share my story and hopefully help people. I originally had no desire to be around them either but I have a bigger purpose I’m aiming towards and need to focus on that only. I have a good heart at [my] core and I just need to remember I’m not this evil person they want me to be.”
Hulu has confirmed that The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives will return for seasons 6 and 7, though no premiere date has been announced yet.
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
