The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Taylor Frankie Paul’s mom, Liann May, fired back at critics who felt like she treated her daughter horribly during a brutal dinner scene in season 2 of the popular Hulu show.
“For all the ignorant people coming to my page, with all the dm’s. Get your facts straight,” Liann began in the caption of a set of photos she posted to Instagram on Monday, May 19. “I [love] Tay & my other kids more than life itself. I would never be jealous of them. That’s ludicrous!”
The mom of three also addressed claims that her recent cosmetic procedures were an effort to look more like Taylor, 30.
“I don’t have to want to look like my daughter, she looks like me! It’s called genetics! I want them to have BETTER lives than I could ever have,” Liann continued. “I did get a nose job and bletharoplasty [sic], and not my whole face, but I wished I would have now, & paid with my OWN money, I don’t need Taylor’s. Here’s pictures for ur Reddit trolls. Get ur pictures and timeline correct.”
The Utah real estate agent defended her treatment of Taylor during The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 2 episode 2 when the TikTok star’s family sided with her on-again off-again boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, shortly after Taylor learned he had slept with another woman while they were in a relationship.
“Yes,I hold my kids to a higher standard & would like them to be accountable with the decisions they make, especially Tay bcuz she has kids,” Liann wrote. “U saw a 3 minute convo without all the facts. A ton of stuff that we were unaware. My kids will always become before anyone. My husband and I say it like it is. Good & bad. Truth to the fault. We ‘ve always praised them with all their achievements.”
Taylor came to her mother’s defense in the comments section.
“I love you. Best mom. You don’t need to defend yourself,” she wrote. “Everyone around you knows you and that’s all that matters.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/DImtJaWOOX2/Liann May and Jeremy May
While some fans praised Liann for being a good mom in the comments, others weren’t as quick to forgive her for how she acted during the episode.
“I totally get that reality TV is skewed and edited a certain way, however, I think you can take some accountability as well for maybe not doing/saying the right things in that moment,” one person explained. “I’m a mom, I’ve screwed up a lot, I’m always saying — I bet that’s going to be part of my kids therapy session down the line… think that’s all anyone can ask for… is holding themselves accountable and working to correct things.”
Liann and Taylor’s stepdad, Jeremy May, found themselves on the receiving end of backlash from fans of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives after the disastrous dinner scene. Taylor was upset with Dakota, 32, who was also in attendance at the barbecue, but her parents and brother, Hunter May, didn’t hold back on their feelings about the situation. Several people, including Summer House star Paige DeSorbo, slammed the family and their treatment of Taylor.
Paige, 32, described Taylor’s family as “some of the worst people [she had] ever listened to on reality TV.”