The cast of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives works hard for their money. Between concocting new drama and spilling the piping hot tea, the ladies are earning every bit of their paycheck. Fans were eagerly awaiting the release of Season 2, and it did not disappoint. Viewers learned more about the swinging scandal and watched as Demi Engemann tried to topple the queen bee. With all that excitement, fans are wondering if they should be given a pay rise to reward them for all their hard work.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives villain Demi Engemann asked for an “absurd” amount of money
During Episode 6 of Season 2, fans of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives learned that Demi had tried to hardball producers in order to gain a bigger paycheck. However, her negotiations almost came at the price of her best friend, Jessi Ngatikaura. It turned out that Demi had stated she was okay with getting more money if it meant letting the hairdresser go. While on the Viall Files, Jesse shared that the duo had planned to present a united front while talking with producers. However, a wrench was thrown into the conversation, which was held with the stars, lawyers, and casting. Jessi claimed to have joined the call but heard Brett Engemann telling the cast to quit if Demi’s demands were not met.
Jesse noted she didn’t want to quit, and thus the feud was born. Jesse shared with listeners, “She basically threw me under the bus because I didn’t care to fight for more money, and she wanted an absurd amount of money.” But Jessi didn’t state exactly how much Demi was asking for. After the first meeting, Demi allegedly called other cast members to try to convince them to kick Jessi off the series.
Whitney Leavitt doesn’t think everyone deserves equal pay on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
The unconventional group of friends really delivered on their promise to Hulu. The MomTokers, as they are called, opened up fans’ eyes to a whole new world of Mormons, including the fact that some still wear temple garments. For that fact alone, they deserved a little bonus. Whitney Leavitt spoke with Business Insider to try to explain the pay issues. The newly re-added MomToker shared that the entire cast is currently paid equally. But she did hint that there could be more talks with Hulu down the line. “It is equal and I think maybe more seasons down the line, we’ll have more conversations about it because I think just naturally more people are being filmed more than others.”
Whitney’s thought process is understandable. Taylor Frankie Paul almost never missed a scene and had multiple storylines. Layla Taylor’s storyline was dull, as was Whitney’s, in my opinion. However, the success of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is attributed to the group as a whole. Rather than to individual members. If anything, the group should take a page out of Kyle Cooke’s notebook. He successfully negotiated pay terms that worked for the entire cast, including newbies being paid what the OGs were first given for Season 1.
Are The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast paid enough?
Hulu is not known to disclose what it pays reality TV workers. But it can be assumed that the women earn between $1,000 and $10,000 per episode. I can understand how Demi might want more if she is getting something on the lower end of the spectrum. It isn’t easy or free to share details of your life on national TV. We do know that for Seasons 1 and 2 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, all the women were paid equally. Although I doubt that the kumbaya feeling will last as the seasons go on.
Fans also know that all of these women are making a good amount of money from social media brand deals. Without a doubt, MomTok is a money-making machine. And the women will be riding it all the way to the end of the line. Mikayla Matthews noted in Season 2 that “the brand deals have been way up — my husband, his entire yearly salary is how much I make on one brand deal.” Fans will also recall that Whitney was offered $20,000 to push a sex toy. The show has been a huge success for Hulu. And I imagine that they will and should eventually cough up more money to their stars.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives will be available to stream on Hulu on May 15th. The show streams on Disney+ in the UK.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THE SECRET LIVES OF MORMON WIVES DESERVE A PAY RISE?