Is there a point where you think you could get there or are you not putting that pressure on yourself?
I’m not putting that pressure on myself because it’s a little heartbreaking. I’m old. I might not ever know [romantic] love. That’s okay, because I know I have love in other ways. The ice is melting. I think every year becomes a bit more hopeful, maybe.
How do you think The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul will do as the next Bachelorette?
If anyone is going to flip the script on the patriarchy, it’s Taylor Frankie Paul. A [Mormon-raised] woman fielding and making out with however many guys is just poetic to me. You go, girl. It has been the opposite your whole life, and you deserve it. I just hope she runs through all of them.
You have tried to have meaningful conversations with some of your fellow Housewives about leaving the church, but they’re not always receptive. Has anyone reached out to you about this show?
Lisa Barlow, Mormon 2.0, did text me when the show was announced. She was congratulatory. It really touched me because I know it’s complicated for her. Her son’s a returned missionary. She identifies as Mormon. No one else in my world who considers themselves as my friend acknowledged it. They’re Mormon—they won’t ever mention it, but I hope that they secretly watch it.
You acknowledge in the series that the church is great at silencing its critics. What do you expect the blowback to be?
The active Mormons’ reaction to the series has been very telling. They immediately started a viral trend on TikTok. “Surviving Mormonism, but it’s just me baking cookies for my neighbors. Surviving Mormonism, but it’s just me chasing my toddler around the chapel.”
That’s how they trivialize these survivor stories. We do not accept criticism. We mock, minimize, dismiss, and silence it. So I’ve seen that reaction. I’m not afraid of the church. I don’t think this is a show about the Mormon church. This is about the people who loved it, had horrible experiences, and have never had space to express them.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
