I believe Layla Taylor’s pregnancy roulette moment on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives shows reality TV needs more empathy

In season 2 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Layla Taylor found herself at the centre of several heated moments—especially the controversial “pregnancy roulette” game. It started off as a TikTok-inspired idea during a group trip, but things quickly got serious. The game involved mixing pregnancy tests in a bowl and reading them out loud, without knowing whose test was whose.

It hit a nerve with cast member Demi Engemann, who had earlier opened up about her struggles with fertility. Her reaction made it clear how painful the moment was. After the episode aired, Layla said she didn’t mean to hurt anyone and didn’t realise the game could affect people so deeply. She also mentioned that parts of the scene were cut, which left out the context behind her actions.

Layla also said she regretted calling Jen Affleck “fake” in the Truth Box, admitting she didn’t know what Jen was going through at the time. In my opinion, this moment shows a bigger problem with reality TV—sometimes, the drive to keep things entertaining overlooks how people really feel.

Layla’s honesty after the show is a reminder that these are real people with real emotions, not just characters for drama.

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Layla’s actions on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives may have stirred drama, but her regret tells a bigger story

After the season aired, Layla Taylor spoke up about the backlash she faced on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, especially over the “pregnancy roulette” game. She made it clear that producers didn’t push her into anything and that the show isn’t scripted.

Layla also said that a lot of what happened wasn’t shown, especially the parts where she explained why she shared the text messages and started the game. She also admitted that she regretted calling Jen Affleck “fake” in the Truth Box. At the time, she didn’t know what Jen was dealing with and said she would have acted differently if she had.

It’s rare to see reality stars own up to their actions without making excuses, but Layla seemed open about her mistakes and showed she had learned from them. In my opinion, Layla’s response shows that growth is possible on reality television, but it also highlights a larger issue: emotional nuance is often lost in the edit. And without that, the human cost of drama becomes easy to overlook.

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The pregnancy roulette scene on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives shows why empathy should come before entertainment

The “pregnancy roulette” game became one of the most talked-about scenes of this season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives—not just for its shock value, but for the emotional reactions it triggered. While Layla introduced it as a playful idea she’d seen online, the moment took a serious turn when Demi Engemann—who had spoken about her fertility struggles—drew a positive test result.

Layla's reaction was immediate and emotional, pointing out how painful the experience was for her. Others, like Mikayla Matthews and Mayci Neeley, were also affected. Both were pregnant at the time but hadn’t shared the news yet, and the game put them in a difficult position.

What might have seemed like a light moment in the group quickly became a reminder that personal challenges aren’t always visible. In my opinion, the scene reflects a bigger problem with how reality shows handle emotional boundaries.

Sensitivity and context often get lost in favour of drama, but this moment shows why real care is needed—on-screen and off. Sometimes, taking a moment to ask, “Is this going to hurt someone?” should matter more than making good TV.

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Catch the latest episodes of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives currently streaming on Hulu.