When Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiered earlier this month, many longtime MomTok followers had one query: The place’s Miranda McWhorter? Now, her ex-husband is sharing his facet of the swinging story.
In an unique interview for Us’ Mormon Wives cowl story, Chase McWhorter revealed he tuned in to “about 5 episodes” of the fact collection up to now. “I truly do suppose it’s fairly correct,” he mentioned of how the present represents the “completely different ranges” of the Mormon group in Utah, from those that are “very orthodox” — Jennifer Affleck and her conventional undergarments got here to thoughts — to individuals who may need “made [their religion] a short lived character” for “advertising and marketing and whatnot.”
Chase and Miranda, who just lately acquired divorced, weren’t featured on the collection, however they’ve a detailed connection to a few of its breakout stars. The pair had been implicated when Taylor Frankie Paul made waves on MomTok in 2022 by revealing that she break up from ex-husband Tate Paul after breaking the boundaries of their “delicate swinging” association. Miranda and Chase initially denied being a part of the controversy, however two years later, Chase is extra open about their involvement.
A giant consider his eventual acceptance was stepping away from the Mormon church. “That was the only real cause I used to be embarrassed to be part of the primary place was the optics,” he instructed Us. “It was a studying expertise, for certain, and searching again, we might have gone about it quite a lot of other ways.”
The “swinger events” 30-year-old Taylor alluded to in her now-infamous TikTok livestream began out extra harmless, based on Chase. “It began throughout Covid. … [It was] a bunch of our pals coming — {couples} — after which we’d all get trashed on alcohol after which, like, these video games would come up,” he recalled. “Spin the bottle or no matter.”
Chase and Miranda had been usually “there collaborating in a few of the social gathering video games,” however he insisted to Us, “It was by no means predetermined that we had been going to be doing, like, swinging. That’s what we at all times thought was a bit bit misrepresented in Taylor’s story, as she presents it.”
The sexual exploration was the results of a “snowball impact,” with alcohol enjoying a big position within the indiscretions. Chase additionally argued that Mormon tradition as a complete — which has strict beliefs on the subject of utilizing substances and having intercourse earlier than marriage — contributed to traces being crossed.
“It is a bunch of those who grew up, for probably the most half, fairly Mormon and had been in quite a lot of methods, I believe, infantilized by the dearth of those experiences they went by in school,” he defined. “So, this was type of a brand new factor.”
The extra the group frolicked collectively — based on Chase, the {couples} rented cabins for his or her getaways in Park Metropolis and different areas of Utah — the extra the boundaries had been pushed. “I do suppose these marriages had been struggling, most of them,” Chase instructed Us, reiterating that he by no means thought swinging was the purpose of the events. “Once more, that is all those who have simply grown up Mormon and actually, in quite a lot of methods, not ever dabbled in a few of the stuff that you just’d most likely simply get by and expertise in school or highschool. However I don’t actually ever suppose anybody thought, ‘We’re gonna ultimately, like, swap after which have intercourse with that particular person.’”
Not lengthy earlier than Taylor aired her soiled laundry on TikTok Dwell, the revelation hit their wider good friend group. Chase remembered feeling “fairly shocked” after studying that Taylor and Tate had been doing “the precise swinging factor” with one other couple.
“We came upon that she had not solely had an affair, however she had been having an affair for a couple of month and a half, and that this was not a one time offense,” he mentioned. “It was extra [of an] emotional affair.”
The revelation felt “like a nuclear bomb [got] dropped,” Chase continued. “That instantly meant, mainly, two divorces.”
Miranda’s friendship with Taylor, which was nearing 5 years robust, may need suffered the largest blow. “I don’t suppose Taylor preferred the truth that Miranda wasn’t actually there proper by her facet [during the scandal],” Chase claimed.
Chase, now the cohost of the “OnlyDads Podcast” with one other pal from the Mormon good friend group, has seen Taylor “a pair occasions” because the mud settled on the scandal. He and Miranda just lately ran into Taylor and her on-off boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, at a celebration. Although the ladies “appeared cordial” with each other — they “talked for, like, 45 minutes” — Chase claimed Miranda is unlikely to “get that shut” to Taylor once more after their falling out.
“I believe all of us have regrets,” he admitted. “I believe all of us remorse what occurred. … We most likely ought to haven’t been there. However on the identical time, why does this must be a public factor? It looks like this was all taking place behind closed doorways, and now Taylor’s utilizing it as a springboard to notoriety when she’s the one that really simply cheated.”
Viewers noticed Taylor’s facet of the story rehashed as soon as once more on the Hulu collection, which debuted September 6. A lot of her costars denied ever being a part of the scandal — and Chase gave Us the receipts.
“I’ll inform you precisely who was by no means at any of the events. Whitney [Leavitt] by no means got here,” Chase mentioned, teasing, “I don’t suppose anybody needed to kick it with Whitney.”
Mayci Neeley, Layla Taylor and Jessi Ngatikaura had been additionally by no means concerned. “Jen was by no means there … Her husband would have most likely killed her,” he mentioned, referring to Zac Affleck, who might hardly even deal with the considered his spouse and her costars being at a Chippendales present throughout a gaggle journey to Las Vegas.
Chase instructed Us that Demi Engemann and her husband, Brett, “did come to a few of the events” however didn’t cross any traces. “They had been simply hanging out,” he added.
With the scandal behind them, Chase and Miranda are specializing in their new chapter as coparents. The MomTok controversy wasn’t an element of their resolution to name it quits, Chase mentioned.
“I believe we each realized that we’d gotten married a bit prematurely, and that’s why our relationship nonetheless is fairly, good 1727388917, like, we’re actually cordial, actually pleasant,” he continued. “[I] nonetheless chat together with her rather a lot, each time she drops the children off, and vice versa. … I believe it’s figuring out rather well, and we’re type of determining the right way to proceed navigating that in a constructive manner.”
Taylor, for her half, instructed Us in a separate interview that she doesn’t miss the swinger way of life. “It’s one thing I’m going to have to elucidate to [my kids] in the future and it’s going to be very laborious, however I additionally will have the ability to be like, ‘That is what I did. That is the way it affected me,’” she added. “And clearly, your children are going to do no matter they’re going to do, however I wish to be [someone] they’ll come [to] and really feel snug [with].”
Regardless of their bumpy previous, Chase nonetheless sees “redeemable qualities” in his and Miranda’s former good friend.
“It’s no coincidence that we had been pals together with her for the 4 years that we had been,” he instructed Us. “She, like, is a cool particular person, and he or she is de facto enjoyable. … I’m certain she’s modified and grown and, you understand, most likely made some changes, and that’s type of what we’re all making an attempt to do in any case.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is accessible to stream on Hulu.
With reporting by Amanda Williams