The 2022 affair is garnering new scrutiny amid a flurry of comments by members of MomTok
Credit: Taylor Frankie Paul/TikTok; Disney/Fred Hayes/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- MomTok’s infamous soft-swinging scandal — which became the subject of Hulu’s Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — is facing new scrutiny
- On Aug. 14, Kenna Gibbons, who was involved in the scandal, made a new series of videos addressing her involvement and slamming former friend Taylor Frankie Paul
- Paul’s mom, Liann May, and ex-husband, Tate Paul, have since weighed in through a series of fiery social media messages
Taylor Frankie Paul’s mother and ex-husband are publicly feuding about the infamous “soft-swinging scandal” that kicked off The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
In 2022, Paul went viral when she announced on TikTok that she and her then-husband, Tate Paul, were getting a divorce after he crossed a line in their soft-swinging arrangement. The reality star revealed at the time that she and several other members of MomTok — a group of Mormon mothers and influencers based in Utah — had an agreement where they traded partners for romantic intimacy.
Though the scandal came to light over four years ago — and was the focus of the first season of Hulu’s Mormon Wives — it faced new scrutiny over the last week when one of the participants, Kenna Gibbons, made a new series of videos addressing her role in the soft-swinging arrangement.
Gibbons, who was once a close friend of Taylor’s, had previously said that she and her ex-husband, Brayden Rowley, divorced because of his affair with Taylor.
She claimed in a series of since-deleted TikTok videos in 2024 that the pair had first gotten together during a “soft-swinging” weekend at a cabin, but Gibbons grew uncomfortable with Rowley’s chemistry with Taylor and asked for it to stop; the pair, however, kept seeing each other behind her back, she said.
Credit: Taylor Frankie Paul/Instagram
Taylor responded to the claims at the time, writing that Kenna “never asked to stop” the soft-swinging and that “she was one of the instigators and [sent] HER husband to get me.” She also posted receipts to back up her side of the story, including a video of her kissing Gibbons, a photo of Taylor with her and her ex-husband, and screenshots of Gibbons’s text messages.
On Aug. 14, Gibbons addressed the scandal for the first time in nearly two years, alleging that “there was a full-blown affair happening behind my back,” which she said was downplayed in favor of the soft-swinging narrative.
“The original story did a really great job at maximizing on the swinging scandal and minimizing the affair,” she said in a TikTok video. “I did not deny any of the soft-swinging, the games we’re playing, or any of the stupid choices that we were making. And boom, now all of the sudden, all that can be talked about is a stupid kissing video.”
Continued Gibbons: “My friend and my husband have an affair, and I am the one getting ripped apart right now.”
Gibbons’s latest comments appeared to frustrate Taylor’s mom, Liann May, who penned a lengthy response to her in an Instagram comment.
“What did you expect to happen when you all decided to swing with each other?” wrote May. “ALL of you cheated! You were ALL to blame! NONE of you were innocent in this.”
“THE ONLY people involved that was [sic] innocent were all your children,” wrote May.
On Aug. 16, Tate reacted to May’s comment in a since-deleted post on TikTok, sharing a screenshot of May’s claims alongside a response, marking one of the first times he has publicly addressed the soft-swinging scandal.
“I’ve stayed quiet on this subject out of protection of my children,” he wrote, “however staying silent doesn’t feel like an ethical move at this point given the egregious nature of what’s been recently said by Liann.”
In this post, Tate appeared to claim that he had called Taylor “multiple times” the night she allegedly had sex with Rowley while intoxicated but that she had “refused,” telling him to “leave her alone because she was venting to a friend.”
“I was at home with my kids and received a call from McKenna around midnight that something was wrong and that both Taylor and Brayden had turned off their phones,” he continued. “I had no idea that she invited him over to her friend’s house.”
Credit: JC Olivera/Variety via Getty
Tate also claimed that Taylor had grinned before sharing “hurtful graphic details” of sleeping with Rowley, adding that his and Taylor’s “need” for an open relationship was one-sided and not his idea. (A rep for Paul did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.)
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“Liann, it is not your place or appropriate to publicly speak about events you weren’t involved in,” Tate continued. “Get your facts straight before you publicly claim nefarious dishonest accusations to excuse your daughter’s mistakes.”
Later that day, May fired back at Tate, claiming in a comment on his post that he was downplaying his own involvement in the soft-swinging scandal — alleging that he once admitted to participating because he believed it was “what Taylor wanted.”
“I am NOT making excuses for Taylor’s mistakes,” wrote May. “She was totally in the wrong, and she’s still paying the price for it. But all of you played a part in it too.”
In the comments, two other individuals involved in the soft-swinging scandal — ex-spouses Miranda Hope and Chase McWhorter — came to Tate’s defense.
“After years of being misunderstood and silenced, i commend you and kenna both for speaking up and sharing what really happened,” penned Hope, who is also a Mormon Wives cast member. “proud of you tate.”
“Prayers up for Taylor who has to deal with Liann on top of everything else,” McWhorter cheekily added.
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