@samjnungesser Published March 12, 2026, 12:15 p.m. ET Where to Stream: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Powered by Reelgood More On: Mikayla Matthews ‘The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives’ Needs To Stop Trying To Make DadTok Happen When Is Season 4 Of ‘Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives’ Coming Out? ‘SLOMW’ New Season Details Revealed ‘Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Vs. ‘RHOSLC’: Which Utah-Based Reality Show Reigns Supreme? What Time Is ‘The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives’ Season 3 Reunion Dropping On Hulu? Mikayla Matthews and her husband, Jace Terry, made the shocking decision to separate in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 4, Episode 9.
Over the last two seasons, Matthews has opened up about her intimacy issues, which stem from both her chronic illness and the sexual abuse she faced as a child. The MomTok creator, who did not name her abuser, shared in Season 3 that she was sexually assaulted at six years old and again at 15 years old, not long before she met Terry and had their first baby at 17 years old.
While Matthews and Terry went to couples therapy in Season 3, she reveals in Season 4 that they haven’t made any progress in their sex life. With intimate acts like kissing and sex triggering Matthews’ trauma and Terry longing to find a connection with his wife, the two decide to take some time apart so Matthews can focus on healing herself, both physically and emotionally. By the end of Season 4, Matthews—who gave birth to their fourth child last July—moves out of their shared home.
While the separation happened sometime in October 2025, those who have been keeping up with Matthews on social media would have no idea the two were not together. In the months since their separation, they’ve made countless TikToks, gone to Universal Studios, and even spent Christmas and Valentine’s Day together.
“It’s a work in progress,” Matthews told DECIDER via Zoom when we asked whether she and Terry were still separated.
“With kids and our schedule and my health stuff, it’s a lot,” she continued. “I kind of set that expectation for him of, like, I’m not able to work through this and give it 100% until I can work through my health stuff, because unfortunately, my health stuff is out of my control and it comes with a lot of physical ailments. I’m not able to remove myself out of my body and be present in the moment with him or with the kids.”
“It’s just a work in progress, and I think it’s going to be that way for a long time,” Matthews added. “And I think it’s going to have its ups and it’s going to have its downs.”
Matthews also explained why she was the one to leave their house, noting that, like Jessi Draper—who stays in hotels when she and Jordan Ngatikaura are fighting, despite being the breadwinner—she is “very avoidant” when it comes to issues within her marriage, whereas her husband wants to talk through things right away. Matthews felt that taking some time away from the house would remove the lingering pressures to be intimate.
“There was a lot of pressure,” she said. “I think because I had that underlying guilt, I felt this pressure every single day when I was in my home. Whether he was saying something or not, I was like, ‘Okay, it’s gonna get brought up.'”
Because the stress surrounding their lack of intimacy played a “huge role” in her health and healing process, Matthews said she needed to put herself first, telling us, “It was one of those moments that I just needed to be selfish in this moment and remove myself and figure out what I need to heal and what’s going to be the best for me, which in return would be the best for our marriage and our family moving forward.”
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 4 is currently streaming on Hulu.
If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.
