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The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reunion took a turn for the serious after a member of DadTok opened up about a painful experience from his past.
As Conner and Whitney Leavitt looked back on their marriage struggles in season 1, including his pornography addiction, the episode looks back at an early confessional scene that was filmed but never aired. In it, Conner explained the work that was needed to heal and the personal revelation it led him to.
“I needed to get help, so we started going to therapy and trying to figure out why,” he said. “And I knew something I have only shared with Whitney and my therapist and my family.”
Taking a breath, he continued, “When I was a little boy, I was raped. And when I was finally honest with that emotion and that memory, everything made sense.”
Turning toward his wife Whitney, he continued, “The validation I needed? I hate that I did that to you, but I’m so proud that I was able to be honest with you and start working through some really, really hard stuff.”
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Host Nick Viall commended Conner on being vulnerable and Whitney for her grace in sharing this. Conner then shared something he prepared for the conversation.
“I want to thank everyone here for their sensitivity around this topic. I don’t trust myself or my emotions when talking about this, so I wrote a few things down,” he began.
He continued, “That was a very difficult part of my past and something I’ve worked hard to heal from. And it still hurts. I know so many people carry experiences like that, even though they may not talk about them.”
“For me, those experiences shaped me and developed really destructive habits, but they don’t define who I am today. What matters is how we grow, how we find resilience and how we support each other moving forward.”
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Conner concluded by sharing his love and sympathy for anyone who has been through something similar. “Healing is possible, and your story doesn’t end with what happened to you.”
Members of the cast shared their sympathy for what Conner had been through, and the other members of DadTok shared their support for Conner and the doors he opens by sharing his experience.
Later in the reunion, Mikayla Matthews shared what Conner’s admission meant to her and how they’ve connected over similar childhood traumas.
“Conner’s situation really touched me. I remember him calling me. He was one of the first people that called me and encouraged me to go to therapy,” she said, beginning to tear up herself.
“I think it really meant a lot to me because I know me and Whitney, we’re going through a lot, and he still wanted to call me and check in on me and make sure that I knew that I had support from someone that had gone through something similar.”
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Of her decision to share her story of suriving sexual abuse as a child, she added, “Really, it just stemmed from suppressing all of this and having support around me, letting me know that it’s a safe place to open up about it, because I didn’t have that growing up.”
“I love everyone. I know we don’t get along, but I really appreciate the support. And yes, we’re petty, we’re b—–, we post stuff. We do stuff. But we’re all going through things, and that’s something we can all relate on.”
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
