Originally published on 5/22/25

After Season 1 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives debuted on Hulu in September 2024, reality TV fans worldwide quickly noticed that Whitney Leavitt, age 32, has been labeled as “The Villain.” Now, though, the mom of three is ready to remove herself from that title, telling First for Women she has “passed the baton to someone else.” Keep scrolling to learn why she thinks that way, who in Momtok she is currently close with and how life has looked for her and Connor since they welcomed their third child early in Season 2. 

Whitney Leavitt talks ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is a reality show that follows a group of Mom influencers—a.k.a #MomTok—as they deal with things like religion, making TikToks, going on trips, raising their kids and more. 

Currently, the group is composed of Jennifer “Jen” Affleck, Taylor Frankie Paul, Mayci Neeley, Miranda McWhorter, Mikayla Matthews, Layla Wessel, Demi Engemann and Jessi Ngatikaura. Whitney had a lot of drama in both Seasons 1 and 2. 

“I think, just more than anything, it was harder after Season 1 being the villain, because I really wasn’t in a good place with the other women. So, I didn’t really care about what was being said online, and I wasn’t in a good place with my friends,” she explained, before sharing that so many moments still haunt her. “The toilet paper on the shoe and my pregnancy in the cake in Season 1. And in Season 2, I think seeing conversations where you’re just, like, ‘How did it get there?’ and ‘Why did it escalate to that?’” 

Several of those conversations involved Engemann, age 30, who the internet is now saying is the show’s new villain. Whether she is or she isn’t, Engemann has become friends with Whitney, whom she fought with back in Season 1.

“We’ve really gravitated towards each other,” Whitney explained. “I have a soft spot based on what happened to me in Season 1. People who feel ostracized, alone or shut out because of decisions that they’ve made. I didn’t want Jen [Affleck] to feel that way when it started to happen, and I don’t want Demi to feel that way. We’ve cultivated a relationship, and  I’m grateful for that.” 

Whitney also shared that following the release of Season 2, she and Engemann “crashed some parties and there was a girl who went all out. She had a cake with a pregnancy stick in a cake [which was how Whitney announced her pregnancy in Season 1] that hopefully will go down in history.” 

How faith shapes Whitney Leavitt’s life and choices 

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is a show about Mormon women, so it makes sense that the women involved are Mormons or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and that the show centers around them trying to show people what that religion is really like. 

“I never really thought of it as getting other people to understand, because, to be honest, I don’t think the show is the place to understand,” Whitney said. “The place to understand is to actually go to church, and I think that’s a more real way of seeing how people live it. When I found out that the word Mormon was gonna be in the title of the show, I was, like, ‘Oh no, this is gonna go one way or the other.’” 

Whitney, her husband and their three kids are active members of the church. She even quotes Bible verses on camera often to explain why something that happens in the show is good or bad for their religion. 

Whitney Leavitt shares what her life looks like off-camera 

Despite being a full-time lifestyle influencer and a reality TV star, a lot of Whitney’s personal life remains unknown, specifically in terms of how she likes to take care of herself. 

“Meditation isn’t talked about enough,” she exclaimed. “It’s a great way to start your day and ground yourself and be prepared for what’s not going to go your way.” 

She also opened up about what life has been like since she and Connor welcomed their third child back in October 2024. 

“With three, being outnumbered is a game changer for sure,” she said. “It’s funny. I was telling my husband, ‘I feel like you have a kid, and then as soon as you’re, like, ‘Oh, I’ve got the hang of it,’ then you have another one and we have to figure it out again.’ And I feel like we’ve just started to figure out this new routine. But he [their newborn] completes our family, and we just love them so much.” 

Another thing the influencer loves is acting, a hobby that she hopes to continue in the upcoming years. 

“I’ve grown this platform and I’m grateful for it.  I want to use it for other things that I want to do and that I’m passionate about. I really am so passionate about acting, and I’m going for it,” she explained. “It’s still so competitive, but I’m in it for the long haul.” 

“Connor is my rock. He’s just supporting me in all of my crazy adventures and ideas, and I wouldn’t be able to continue what I’m doing today without him.” 

Be sure to check out Whitney Leavitt on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu.

Link to original: https://www.firstforwomen.com/entertainment/celebrities/whitney-leavitt-on-the-mormon-wives-being-cast-as-the-villain