ENTERTAINMENTMikayla Matthews Reveals Why Whitney Leavitt 'Triggers' Her on 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives'
Mikayla Matthews shared why she is triggered by Whitney Leavitt on 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.'
June 2 2025, Published 9:48 a.m. ET
Mikayla Matthews, star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, opened up about her complicated relationship with costar Whitney Leavitt, revealing that she still "triggers" her feelings.
Mikayla Matthews said costar Whitney Leavitt still 'triggers' her feelings.
"I think there's a lot of confusion when it comes to Whitney because I genuinely just don't get where her mindset's at," Matthews, 25, shared during her Wednesday, May 21, appearance on "The Squeeze" podcast.
"I think there's a lot in her that triggers me because it reminds me of my mom," she added.
Mikayla Matthews said Whitney Leavitt 'triggers' her because she reminds her of her mom.
While Leavitt, 32, had previously spoken about her portrayal as the Season 1 villain, her perceived lack of accountability rubbed Matthews the wrong way.
Leavitt shared her feelings during her own stint on "The Squeeze" after season 1 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, yet Matthews felt Leavitt's explanations fell short.
"I think it's hard, especially in Season 2, because we had so many conversations and I would reference the podcast like, 'You said this on the podcast,'" Matthews explained.
"I think there was one line specifically where you asked her, 'Do you have anything you feel like you need to say to the other women?' and she was like, 'Nope. If they want to talk to me, they can.' So, again, I think that was very telling because coming back she was like, 'I'm ready to apologize. I'm ready to do this.' It was like she didn't know what she was taking accountability for and apologizing for."
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After Whitney Leavitt spoke on 'The Squeeze,' Mikayla Matthews felt her words fell short.
As the drama unfolds in Season 2, Matthews doesn't believe Leavitt's motivations are genuine.
"I think that's something that I've seen with her is that she comes back when it's convenient for her," Matthews said. "So, I think for me and, like, my own personal growth I was like it's OK for me to be like, 'I'm not letting you take any of the power. I'm keeping the power over here and you can do whatever you want and be on your way.'"
Despite some of the other women, like Jen Affleck and Demi Engemann, being open to Leavitt returning to MomTok in Season 2, Matthews made her stance clear. She stated she would be cordial but felt no friendship would develop between them.
Though some cast welcomed Whitney Leavitt back, Mikayla Matthews said she’d be cordial with her — but not friends.
Matthews previously discussed her ongoing feud with Leavitt during a Tuesday, May 20, appearance on "The Viall Files."
"I didn't really have that drive to say as much until she brought like Mayci [Neeley] into it," Matthews explained to host Nick Viall while defending her best friend.
"She was posting Mayci's text messages — where Mayci was like backing her hard. Blindly almost, and I feel like that's when I got almost more defensive, because she was always a s----- friend to Mayci and I always told Mayci that, but it wasn't until after the show and she was like throwing Mayci under the bus," she added.
Viewers can catch all the drama between Leavitt and Matthews as it unfolds in season 2 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, now streaming on Hulu.
