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When the show’s main trailer dropped in August, it put a lot of attention on star Taylor Frankie Paul and the “suit swinging” scandal she and others in the #MomTok neighborhood were involved in; where they allegedly held events where they swapped partners. This was followed by Paul’s arrest for domestic violence, also highlighted in the teaser. Throw in Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ “Unholy” and the drama between the women, and you have a lightning rod for controversy.

“(The backlash) feels so loud because we live in Utah and a lot of the hate comes from Utah,” star Mikayla Matthews told TooFab ahead of the premiere, as she and the rest of the cast reflected on the negativity they’ve experienced leading up to the show’s premiere.

For Demi Engemann, the response was “completely split down the middle.”

“With about 50% of people being excited and like, ‘We’re rooting for you and this is awesome. I can’t wait to see what this is all about.’ Then the other side of death threats and people being, like, completely furious that we would sign on to be on a show like this,” she shared.

While Layla Taylor hasn’t received anything like death threats, she told TooFab that she has been asked, “How dare you call yourself a Mormon?” for being a part of the show. “I believe that everyone has the right to truly feel a certain way. Everyone’s opinions and emotions are legitimate, but I believe that people just want to wait a few more days,” she added.

For Paul, she mentioned that this simply comes with the territory of reality TV, particularly one involving something like Mormonism. She identified that the cast covers a broad spectrum of the neighborhood — with some more religious than others — and is representative of everyone.

“It’s identical to our story to inform. And I really feel like once they see the present, they’ll realize that. I believe it will change a little bit when it comes out… but we might as well be delusional too,” she added with amusement.

While some of them have been the target of hate from other Mormons, star Whitney Leavitt mentioned that the negative backlash hasn’t reached her in the church.

“It’s positively much louder online than when we’re actually going to church. No one is coming up to us in church and telling us we’re not Mormon,” Leavitt said. “Unfortunately, the negativity I think just seems louder, but there is some positivity from the Mormon community as well.”

Sitting next to Leavitt, star Mayci Neeley added that while it was “disappointing” to see some of her neighbors turn them on, she’s also been getting “a lot of positive DMs” to keep the situation balanced.

Jennifer Affleck (of course, they’re associated), meanwhile, mentioned that negativity and “clickbait” are definitely doing more good than harm. “Hate is good because it means more people will tune in,” she told TooFab, “and actually listen to our stories and lives, which I believe is what excites us.”

As the ladies say, the focus of the present is “much deeper than a two-minute trailer.” They all hope that those who tune in will be surprised by the final product. Some, like Mikayla, are still a little skeptical, however.

“I really feel like it’s going to get worse before it gets better, to be honest. I really feel like it’s going to throw people for a loop,” she said. “I mean, they see such a small portion of just the name being released, the trailer being released, and then to have eight episodes coming out, I really feel like it’s going to get worse before it gets better, as everything does. So we’re just preparing ourselves, booking our treatment appointments now.”

“A part of me thinks this is probably going to be the calm before the storm, but it could also very well be the opposite,” Mayci added, “since you see the trailer and it’s like, ‘Oh, they’re rocking, they’re consuming,’ like, they’re doing all these things, you know? But that’s not the case when you watch the show.”

“I hope people watch this and see that there are different representations within the church. I think that’s the only concern that a lot of members have right now, is that they’re afraid that we’re misrepresenting them and that people in the outside world are going to perceive Mormon women as a particular right way,” Layla told TooFab. “But when something like that comes down to it, I think we’re portraying that women, Mormon women, are just all from different levels of religion, all different looks, we’re not the same, that’s okay.”

Jessi Ngatikaura also insisted that the sequence “is not to disparage the church” and that it was not her intention to “bash” it.

“We’re also not saying that’s how all Mormons are. No. We’re just airing dirty laundry because it’s our stories to tell, but we’re not saying that we’re a representation of the church,” she continued, before sharing her concern that she’ll get more backlash because she’s “the one in the group that drinks and left the church.”

“I’m the sick one,” she added.

Of the ladies, only Paul has been directly linked to the swinging scandal. However, now that they are all appearing on a new show alongside her, the other ladies are starting to get pulled into the controversy. For many of them, however, they find it hilarious that someone would think they are swingers too.

“I think for me, it’s so far removed from reality that it makes me snort,” Affleck said. “If you really think I’m a swinger, like, that’s so funny to me. Like, it just makes me snort.”

“I think it’s hilarious, but it’s such an incredible, attention-grabbing, gripping level. I think it’s just funny and it’s so far-fetched that it’s like, if people really think that way, who cares?” Mikayla shared. “Because I know I’m not a swinger. My husband is not a swinger.”

“I think that’s our hope, that when people watch the show, they’ll find answers to these questions that they’ve been asking for a while,” Layla said — while Demi added, “I’m excited for the truth to come out.”

With “wives” in each of their titles, it is only apparent that some would rate The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives to The Real Housewives of Salt Lake CityBravo’s Utah-set sequel also involves some Mormon women.

One of the many women, Demi, told TooFab that she actually interviewed to be in the RHOSLC before joining the Hulu show, before revealing what she thinks sets them apart.

“We only know a few of them… it’s a very small place,” she mentioned, “The way it compares is that it’s not so much a focus on the drama and the inner workings of the cast, and it’s more of a deep dive into each of our individual lives and what we’ve all been through as people, and then in our families.”

“There are issues that naturally happen within the group and it shows us working through a lot of issues as a group, the #MomTok group, which I think is great,” she continued, “but beyond that, we all have a story to tell, we all put our lives on social media, and I think that peels back another layer and really reveals a deeper level of each of our individual lives.”

Layla, meanwhile, mentioned that their present was “distinct in the sense that we are all real friends in real life.”

“I can’t speak for the Housewives, obviously, because I don’t know them personally, but I have a feeling their relationships might end when filming ends,” she added. “And for us, we’re consistently around each other even when the cameras aren’t here.”

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premieres in full on Hulu this Friday.