Mayci Neeley revealed why she’s glad certain story lines were cut from season 1 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
“In season 1, my whole story line got cut, which was dealing with the loss of my son’s father and how I have been dealing with grief over the last 10 years,” Mayci, 30, exclusively told Us Weekly at the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiere event at Paramount Studios on Friday, May 9. “But in reality, now I’m glad it was cut from season 1.”
The editing decision allowed Mayci to properly get her story told, adding, “I’m glad it’s going to be in season 2 because it coincides with me getting a book deal — so it all wraps together and makes sense.”
Mayci is specifically excited for viewers to know her and the rest of the cast “on a deeper level.”
“A lot of us got story lines cut in season 1 that were about us,” she hinted. “So I think I’m excited to be able to see who we are underneath the drama and get to know us.”
When asked what else didn’t make it into the final cut, Mayci revealed, “I wasn’t shown a lot in season 1, but me and Mikayla [Matthews] have been really close friends since 2020. But the way the show is edited, you don’t see any of that, which is interesting to see back.”
She continued: “In season 2, you’ll see us and how close we are in our friendship. I’d say besides that, me and Mikayla got really close to Demi [Engemann] and Jessi [Ngatikaura] in season 2. Right now we got even closer with Jessi.”
Season 1 of Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiered in September 2024 and followed a group of Mormon mom influencers in Utah. After the show exploded in popularity, Mayci was one of the stars who surprised Us when she revealed how much of her scenes didn’t make it.
“I have a very interesting backstory,” Mayci exclusively shared in a September 2024 Us Weekly cover story. “I’ve dealt with an abusive relationship and sexual assault and domestic violence.”
Mayci later sparked a romance with Arik Mack and ended up getting pregnant before marriage, which is frowned upon in the Mormon Church. While Mayci was pregnant, Arik was killed in a car accident while texting. After welcoming son Hudson, now 9, Mayci went back to school as a single mother.
“But I also understand because season 1 is kind of a development. It’s like, ‘Who are we on the surface? What’s going on currently right now?’” Mayci recalled at the time. “I still have stuff that haunts me to this day. It’s hard. I’ve definitely worked through it, but I definitely need more therapy.”
She continued: “I have grown so much empathy. I think I give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and you can see that in the show. When people see my backstory, they realize why I do some of the things I do on the show.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 2 premieres Thursday, May 15 on Hulu.
With reporting by Olivia Bria
