SLOMW OC Cast Teases High-Stakes Drama Ahead of Series Debut

Avery Woods is signaling that the upcoming first season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County will deliver plenty of conflict, as she dismisses concerns that the show may lack drama. In a new interview with Us Weekly, the 31-year-old influencer-turned-reality star said viewers should expect strong personalities, clashing perspectives, and tension among the cast. “It’s reality TV, there’s going to be drama,” Woods said, adding that the series includes women with very different beliefs and lifestyles.

Hulu announced the Orange County spin-off earlier this year, and the cast brings together a wide mix of personalities from social media and reality TV. The lineup includes Bobbi Althoff, YouTuber Madison Bontempo, Aspyn Ovard, Salomé Andrea, Chandler Higginson, Ashleigh Pease, McCall DaPron, and Woods. Jen Affleck, an original star from Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, is also part of the new group. The series is expected to expand the franchise beyond its Utah roots and explore a different version of Mormon life in Southern California.

Woods also addressed criticism that several cast members are not active members of the Mormon Church. She explained that some women remain involved in the church, while others were raised Mormon and have since left. A few, she said, were never Mormon themselves but have close personal ties to people in the community and know it well. Woods described the Mormon church as a familiar community for her, reflecting on her own background, including marrying at 21, having her first child at 23, and meeting her husband at 18. She said the contrast between women who are still practicing and those who are not will be one of the most interesting parts of the show.

According to Woods, the cast members are all very different from one another, and that diversity is part of the appeal. She said the women dress differently, speak differently, raise their children differently, and make different choices in life. Over time, those differences have helped them become more open and develop a greater appreciation for each other. Woods said that dynamic will be compelling for viewers to watch.

Producer Jeff Jenkins has also explained why Orange County was chosen as the setting for the next chapter of the franchise. Speaking with Variety, he said Orange County is one of the key hubs for the LDS community in the United States and offers a setting that feels distinct from Utah. He described Southern California’s Mormon culture as more relaxed and less intense than what audiences might associate with the original show’s environment. Jenkins also suggested the success of the spin-off could lead to additional projects, saying there are already several more potential offshoots in development.

Meanwhile, the original Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is set to return for season 5, though with major changes. The new season reportedly includes only five filmed episodes after production was halted, and cast members may skip ahead to season 6 instead of completing the rest of the current one. The disruption reportedly followed tensions involving Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, which led some cast members to refuse filming with her. Season 5 is expected to arrive on Hulu later this year.