Chapter 1: What are the behind-the-scenes details of Hulu's Secret Lives of Mormon Wives?
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The first time I ever came, you guys put me in the back behind a desk. And now look at me. We did. I've really moved up in the world. We had a small suit. There's just so many of you girls. No, there was like eight of us. All of you. Yeah, I don't blame you. I just thought it was funny. Who were you sitting next to? Layla. Layla. Because we were, I think, last minute additions.
And so it was just like, make it work, you know, but I thought it was funny. Well, yeah. I think it was before the first season even dropped. Yes. And also, I wasn't in the first season that much. So I was just happy to be a part of anything. That's crazy. Yes, of course. Well, now all of you are big stars. Oh, that's crazy.
I mean, you guys know I've always obviously been a fan of all you women from the beginning. And like you said, obviously... Season one, you sprinkled yourself in there, but season three is very much full-on Jesse. Yeah, I wasn't planning that at all, but it happened.
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Chapter 2: How does Jessi feel about her relationship with Jordan?
Whitney is like notorious for changing her hair color. So in that first episode of season one, she has like blonde, dark blonde, red. I did all of those. So I just knew Whitney through doing her hair and she would invite me to a few things. And I knew the other girls because of that group. But I had known Macy through social media, same with Demi.
And one day I got a message from Macy and she was like, hey, I don't know if you've heard, but we've filmed a pilot for a show and they're looking to bring more people on. Would you be interested? And I always say like, I'll say yes to anything just to see how it goes. So I was like, sure.
And I did my first interview over Zoom and I had like, I was getting my hair done and they texted me and they were like, can you meet right now? So I did it with half a head of foils in and they were like, we actually love it because it's like real life. And I feel like from day one, I was just myself and that translates on camera. And
I think that's something that's special about our cast is I think for the most part, you can tell that all of us are just being ourselves. None of us are performing for the camera. Maybe some of us, but like most of us, like it's just real raw, authentic. And I think when you watch shows, you can tell who's putting on a performance.
And a lot of the housewives, I feel like I can just pinpoint when I'm like, oh, you know, you've seen the housewives before and you're doing that. But I feel like with our show, we were just thrown into it new and we were just like in this messy friend group and it worked. But yeah, I just knew Macy and Demi and Whitney and I got added in.
We live in a time where reality TV is really mainstream and it's really hard to find shows where you can cast people who are willing to be authentic. So what do you think it is about you? Like you said, maybe there's moments where we might think someone's performing or not.
But as a collective, everyone really shows up and really like is, all right, well, I'm going to speak freely and honestly about this. I think two things. I think the first thing is when you're an influencer, you're already used to putting your life out there and just kind of like being vulnerable with your audience or whatever it may be. So there was a level of that.
But I really credit Taylor to showing us the way like season one. She obviously laid it all out on the table. with her swinging, her arrest, her divorce, her cheating. And it gave all of us kind of room to do the same as things happen to us. So when I went through my thing this season, I really leaned on Taylor as an example of like, you own your shit. You just are honest.
And it's the only way to do it because if you hide and you're not genuine, people see that and they read it.
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Chapter 3: What challenges did Jessi face during the filming of Season 3?
So I was like, I have to go say hi. So I go up to him and I'm like, you probably don't know who we are, but I just wanted to introduce myself. And he was like, oh my gosh, the Mormon show me and my wife love it. And he's telling his publicist, he's like, this girl got arrested. She's a swinger. He knew everything. And I was like, whoa.
And he's like, can we do like a praying hands photo or like a shushing photo for my wife? So that was on his phone that we took that. And I was like, whoa. And then he comes over 10 minutes later and he's like, will you FaceTime Mila? And we were like, oh, no big deal. Yeah. And she was like, I love you guys. And we talked to her.
It was so crazy because I've met people that probably have heard of us but aren't fans. But for him and his wife to be fans, I was like, whoa. And then Scott Disick and Khloe Kardashian, we met them at a Hulu event. And Scott's like, I just watched it this week. And Khloe was like, you guys are doing great. And we sat and chatted with them. And that was also surreal.
Has there any been moments that have made this experience more difficult? I mean, obviously we'll get into the relationship of it all, but just, you know, sometimes it can be invasive. You mentioned people know where you live. What would have been some difficult aspects of becoming the stars that you are?
Two things I always see on social media that bug me are, number one, if not all of us are together in a TikTok, it's like, why are you leaving Taylor out? Where's your queen? Where's your leader? And I'm like, Taylor's busy. We're all busy. Like, getting all nine of us in a room is hard, even when we're filming. Like, you guys see, there's not many scenes of all nine of us.
So I hate that, like, if it's just me and Macy and Mikayla or me, Layla, and Miranda or whatever— They automatically think we're like shunning the other girls. And it's like, no, we're just busy. So I hate the assumptions of our friend group just because everyone against each other. Yeah. Yeah. The audience does it more than we do.
I feel like also the the feedback I've seen a lot, which is mind blowing to me, is that you guys need to release these sooner. Like you guys are so behind. And I'm like, we film you guys see two seasons a year. That's unheard of for reality TV. Most reality shows are once a year. So we're actually so quick. And just because we're online, people are like, we need it quicker. We need it quicker.
So I don't think they see the behind the scenes of us like filming 24-7, being burnt out, exhausting. This is our real lives we're showing. And then it's like the demand of like more, more, more. That stuff blows my mind because I'm like, we're doing the best we can. You're already doing so much.
But at the same time, all the negative feedback goes hand in hand with the positive and we wouldn't have a show without the fans. So it's hard to complain when they're also the reason we're here. So those are just the things that sometimes get me, but it's not that big of a deal. How did you and Jordan, when this all, you got the call from, was it Macy you said? Yeah. So as a couple-
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Chapter 4: How did Jessi's past relationships influence her current situation?
If he wants that life, that's great. But it wasn't where mine was going. And I really just had to think about what do I want for my future? And that kind of helped me get out of it. But I think in emotionally abusive relationships, you have to get to a point where the glass shatters and you just make a decision.
Like when I left Jordan in season three, it got to that point where I had tried for so long and I just had a glass shattering moment where I was like, I can't do this. As hard as it might be, I'm done. So that happened with my first one and I followed through with it. So I think it was for the best, but it was hard. Yeah.
Did you and your first husband like try to work through stuff at times and it just didn't get any better? I would say the last two years of our marriage, like I had left for days at a time and like threatened to leave and then we would get back together. But when you're Mormon, you're married in the temple. So you're sealed for all time and eternity and divorce is a big deal.
Like I'm actually still sealed to my ex in the temple. The church won't cancel it. So technically I would be with him for all time and eternity if I died, which is insane. It's a huge process to like cancel that. I don't really believe in it. So like I'm not worried, but technically I'm still married to him in the church. So divorce is like a no-no.
So it was just the optics of like, what will the world think? What will our family and friends think? And the church will be disappointed. And I was still kind of in it at the time because his family was. And so- We tried a lot because of that. But I would say the last two years, it was me trying and trying. There was a point when my family wouldn't even speak to my ex.
Like for, I think, four months, he wasn't even allowed at my parents' house. So there were rough times, but I was just trying. And then it got to a point where I was like, I can't. But I did put a lot of effort in. You're not religious now, right? No, I left. Were you ever really religious? Was that a big part of your first marriage?
So I grew up, I like to call myself a mutt because my dad's not Mormon and my mom is. So I grew up like half in the church, half out of the church. And because of that, I would go to church on Sundays, but we wouldn't like be super strict because my dad was like not, he went on a mission, but he left the church when I was like two. So he was never about it. So I was religious because my mom was.
And then as I grew up, I kind of was like, I don't know. And then my ex-husband was super religious. So I got back into it for him. We got married in the temple. We went to church every Sunday. His family was super religious. So in that marriage I was, but I didn't like fully buy into it. I was mainly doing it for him. And then when we got divorced, I was like, okay, I'm done.
And then is or was Jordan? Yeah, so Jordan's family is Mormon, and he never went on a mission because he got his girlfriend pregnant at 18, so he couldn't. But yeah, he grew up Mormon, but he left the church around 18, 19 years old. So Jordan has children outside of a boy or girl? A daughter named Peyton. She's 13. Wow, did not know that. Yeah, it's crazy, huh? That is crazy. Yeah.
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Chapter 5: What role does therapy play in Jessi and Jordan's relationship?
He couldn't go to the temple. So if I got married in the temple, my dad wouldn't have been there. So for me, it was like, no, this is actually incredible. And my dad's not religious at all. So My ex's family, he tried to avoid as much as he could. He would be nice to them, but he did not agree with how they talked and did things. So he definitely didn't love that.
I think my mom felt the same way where she was just like, hmm. And then issues with my ex started arising and they really distanced themselves. But yeah, they told me how they felt. They were like, that is not okay. Has it ever bothered Jordan that you're still eternally tied to your ex? He knows I've tried to get it broken. I actually reached out to my bishop once.
Because that's how you have to do it. And I told them I wanted to get it broken. And they were like, do you like text your bishop or do you like? I had to email him. I had to figure out where my records were. And it was like the last word I had been to with my ex. I emailed him and they were like, OK, let's get it going. Let's do it. And then we'll get you and your new husband sealed.
And that was their like agenda. And when I said, no, I just want to break this. I don't want to reseal nothing. They ghosted me. So Jordan knows I've tried. So he's like, and also he's not a member anymore. So he doesn't, unless you believe in the church, it's like, if we still believed, we'd probably be like more proactive. But yeah, he's fine.
And is that something that like other Mormons like judge you for still being tied to someone you're no longer? Maybe. But I also think that the way the church does it is weird because a man can be sealed to more than one woman. So my ex is remarried and he could get married to her in the temple. Yeah.
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Chapter 6: What support did Jessi receive from her friends during difficult times?
And he can have 15 wives, you know? So it's such a double standard. But if I wanted to get sealed to Jordan, I would have to break this ceiling first, which they won't allow me to. It's crazy. How have you ladies been received in the community with the Mormon religion being front and center and often criticized in a lot of ways? I imagine it's been somewhat controversial in your community.
I would say when the first trailer and name was announced, that was the hardest of it because it was just Secret Lives of Mormon Wives and Mormons didn't know what the show was going to be. So they freaked out. I actually have a hair school and I had to go into my hair school because all my students are pretty much Mormon and they were freaking out.
And I had to go sit them down and tell them what it was going to be about and not to worry. And I was really afraid I was going to lose students. And I started panicking, like, what the hell did I just do? Did I just ruin my business? I've seen a lot of TikToks back in the day of like, my culture is not a costume. Don't make fun of our religion. But what they don't get is that we are the culture.
We all grew up Mormon. We all, I got married in the temple. I did it for 26 years. Like, I'm not making fun of you. I lived it. And I'm sharing my experience. So that's what I think people realize watching the show is we're just sharing our experience, not saying yours is wrong. But also, we're also showing different levels of it. Like Jen was super religious. I wasn't at all.
And the other girls fall somewhere in between. And every religion, even... you know, Catholicism has different levels of like being active, I assume. So I feel like it was just normal to showcase our experience. And I think also after watching the show a few seasons, the church isn't as prominent as it was in the first episode, right? Like it kind of evolves to be more about our lives.
And yes, the Mormon church is like a background character because we live in Utah County and Mormonism is a part of where we live, but it doesn't really focus on it as much as I think people thought it would. And now Mormons are our biggest fans. Like everyone in Utah loves us. And so- It's really great, actually, but I think it was hard in the beginning. Do you get recognized a lot? Yeah.
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Chapter 7: How did Jessi navigate the emotional aftermath of her affair?
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He would host these dinner parties and I just saw him being like social and fun. And like my ex was like, he was really social, but he'd lost himself in like the drugs and the gaming. And so I was looking for someone like that who could be a partner that could like host things with me and like be around and people liked them. I think what I've learned is I love big personalities.
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