On this episode of On Purpose, host Jay Shetty interviewed Leila Taylor from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives in a groundbreaking conversation where Taylor publicly came out as bisexual for the first time. Taylor revealed she has been dating both men and women, and is currently in a relationship with a woman who initially reached out via Instagram DM. The 25-year-old reality star discussed her journey suppressing her sexuality for years due to lack of queer representation in her predominantly white, Mormon community in Utah. Beyond her coming out, Taylor disclosed harrowing details about her childhood and early adulthood, including attempting to bleach her skin at age 10 to fit in with white peers, converting to Mormonism at 16 seeking family stability, getting pregnant at 19, and entering a toxic marriage she described as manipulative. Following her divorce, Taylor faced severe financial hardship including eviction notices and food insecurity, surviving on $30 weekly grocery budgets while filming the reality show and hiding her struggles from castmates. She also opened up about her ongoing battle with an eating disorder that resurfaced a year ago and is currently in remission. Throughout the conversation, Taylor emphasized using her platform to represent single mothers, Black women, and now openly bisexual women, drawing strength from her two sons to finally live authentically. She expressed hope that her story would help others struggling with similar experiences feel safe to come out.
Taylor, who converted to Mormonism at 16, described the church's restrictive approach to sexuality, stating many members view sex solely for procreation rather than pleasure. She also revealed she never received sex education growing up in Utah's Mormon-dominated schools, contributing to her getting pregnant at 19.
Read this moment →Taylor revealed severe financial hardship following her divorce, including receiving eviction notices and being unable to afford food for herself while filming Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. She hid this struggle from castmates out of shame, keeping up appearances while facing potential homelessness. This occurred before the show brought her financial stability.
Read this moment →Taylor disclosed a traumatic childhood experience of attempting to bleach her skin at age 10 while growing up as one of the few Black children in a predominantly white Mormon area in Utah. She described internalizing white beauty standards and believing she needed to lighten her skin to be accepted by peers.
Read this moment →Leila Taylor from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives publicly came out as bisexual for the first time on the On Purpose podcast. She revealed she has been dating women and men, sharing that she suppressed these feelings for years due to lack of queer representation and cultural pressures. Taylor is currently in a relationship with a woman who reached out via DM.
Read this moment →