NEWS'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Star Mikayla Matthews Reveals Dark Childhood Secret
In an emotional podcast appearance, Mikayla Matthews shared her story of surviving childhood sexual abuse.
May 25 2025, Published 4:28 p.m. ET
Mikayla Matthews, star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, opened up about her traumatic past, revealing she was a victim of sexual abuse as a child.
During a poignant episode of "The Squeeze" podcast on Wednesday, May 21, the 24-year-old shared her harrowing experience.
Before moving from California to Utah in elementary school, Matthews faced sexual abuse, which continued after the family's relocation.
Mikayla Matthews said the abuse began before her family moved from California to Utah.
"My mom's boyfriend came in the picture and we were just, like, really uncomfortable around him too because it was shortly after she had moved away from my dad and that's all we ever saw," she said.
She continued, "Then, of course, he was very, like, touchy and I don't know if he was touchy to everyone. He was definitely touchy to, like, me."
Reflecting on her childhood, Matthews explained, "Now, thinking back, I was already being sexually abused before, and so I didn't quite get it. I was still pretty young and I think when I was like probably 11 or 12 is when I started to notice a little bit more [and] that it wasn't OK."
Mikayla Matthews recalled her mother’s boyfriend being 'very touchy' early in their relationship.
As her mother and boyfriend grew closer, Matthews and her siblings often visited his home under false pretenses. "We would come over to ride his four-wheelers and he'd be like, 'Oh if you want to ride the four-wheeler you have to do this first for me.' And so, like, she never saw any of that and I never told her," she stated.
The soon-to-be mom-of-four felt isolated, saying, "I felt like I never had that safe place to tell my mom anything. She just wasn't that person for me."
After her mother married her abuser, Matthews faced a pivotal moment on Halloween in 2015. This incident prompted her to gather the courage to confront her mother about the abuse, but instead of receiving support, Matthews faced disbelief.
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After revealing the abuse on Halloween 2015, Mikayla Matthews said her mother accused her of 'lying.'
"I don't remember exactly how she reacted, but she was basically like, 'You're lying. That's not true. That didn't happen,'" Matthews explained.
She lamented, "Instead of her doing her role as a mom and doing what she was supposed to do and protect me in that moment it was 'Well, you're lying. You can move out.'"
At just 16 years old, Matthews was on her own, resulting in minimal communication with her mother.
Mikayla Matthews moved out at 16 years old.
"We don't really see her unless it's for holidays or like we have a birthday. Again it's like that's not a conversation we've ever had and I think that's been like the hardest thing to come to terms with is I don't think I'm ever going to have that conversation," Matthews shared.
Fans can delve deeper into Matthews’ story in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 2, available for streaming on Hulu.
