"Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" star Mikayla Matthews recently broke down in tears as she revealed to her followers that she and her family are officially moving out of their longtime Utah home—a property she claims left her feeling profoundly "depressed and sick" due to environmental toxins.
The 26-year-old reality television personality took to TikTok to document the deeply emotional milestone, sharing with her audience that she and her husband, Jace Terry, are leaving behind the house where they raised their four children. As they prepare to turn the page on this chapter, the family is transitioning into a custom-built residence designed to offer a fresh start.
Although Matthews has previously spoken candidly about the heavy physical and mental toll that living in the property has taken on her overall well-being, she admitted that actually saying goodbye to the house proved to be far more difficult and complex than she had initially anticipated. Sitting in her car, the reality star fought back tears while reflecting on the bittersweet reality of closing the door on a home filled with both immense hardship and deeply cherished family memories.
"We just packed up things to move out of our house. I didn’t think I would be this emotional about it," she confessed through tears. She went on to explain the intense duality of her feelings, noting that while the residence had been a massive source of anxiety and physical distress, it was also the place where they built their family from the ground up. "This house has been like a huge stressor in my life, but it’s also brought us… we just created our whole family there, brought all our babies home there," she continued, capturing the complicated emotional landscape of leaving a long-term home under duress.
The emotional TikTok video offered a profound glimpse into the conflicting emotions Matthews has experienced while preparing to leave the property behind. Despite associating the residence with years of debilitating health struggles and environmental challenges, the reality star acknowledged that it also served as the foundational backdrop for some of her family’s most cherished and intimate milestones.
The social media post featured a moving montage of heartwarming family moments captured inside the home over the years, beautifully juxtaposed with raw, unfiltered footage documenting the painful skin flare-ups Matthews has experienced amid her ongoing and highly visible health battle. Toward the end of the video, Matthews offered a hopeful glimpse of what lies ahead for her family, sharing footage of herself standing inside the exposed wooden framework of her family’s new home, which remains under construction but represents a safe, toxin-free future.
However, leaving the property represents far more than a simple change of address for Matthews, who revealed that her harrowing experience living in the previous home has left a lasting psychological impact on her mental well-being. The trauma associated with her illness has fundamentally altered how she views living spaces altogether.
"No one talks about what it’s like to be living in a home that’s making you sick. For years, it’s made me anxious, depressed, dysregulated, and unsafe in the place I should feel the safest," she explained, shedding light on a rarely discussed aspect of environmental illness. She added that the prolonged ordeal "left me with PTSD, making it hard to feel safe in any building or living environment."
Matthews elaborated further on her decision to leave the home in the video’s detailed caption, explaining that her complex health struggles have made the moving process vastly more complicated than simply putting a standard property on the market and waiting for a buyer.
"We bought a home," she began, addressing her followers directly. "I want to go so much more in-depth on this because I get SO many comments of ‘why don’t you just sell your home, etc.’ It’s such a complex illness and the mental side of chronic inflammatory response syndrome that I think needs to be talked about more."
The reality star has been transparent and vocal about her arduous battle with chronic inflammatory response syndrome, commonly known as CIRS, a multi-system illness she has directly attributed to prolonged exposure to mold-related toxins within her living environment. In March, Matthews first revealed to the public that she believed her chronic, debilitating illness had been triggered by extended exposure to these hidden environmental toxins.
Beyond the physical symptoms, she has spoken openly about the devastating psychological and emotional effect her condition has had on her self-confidence, her active social life, and her ability to participate in various professional opportunities and public appearances. The visible nature of her skin flare-ups took a severe toll on her mental health during the height of the illness.
"This condition has stolen literally everything from me," she previously admitted to her followers. "I had like a year and a half where I couldn’t look people in the eyes. I felt like if I didn’t look them in the eyes, then they couldn’t see my skin. It’s something I’m still working on."
Matthews explained that her ongoing skin struggles had prompted her to withdraw from numerous high-profile social and professional events, though she has consistently remained determined to share her raw, unvarnished experiences with other individuals facing similar health challenges. By showing vulnerability, she hopes to foster a sense of community and understanding for those dealing with invisible or misunderstood illnesses.
"I have said no to SO MANY fun events, premieres, and opportunities because of my skin, but I show up when I can because I want you guys that are in similar situations to feel seen and know that life doesn’t have to stop when shitty things are happening to you," she shared.
Her latest emotional update regarding the move comes just weeks after she made headlines by announcing in September that she would not be returning for the sixth season of the hit reality television series "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," choosing instead to prioritize her health, her family, and her healing process away from the intense scrutiny of the show.
Matthews is not the only high-profile cast member to step away from the popular reality franchise recently. Fellow star Taylor Frankie Paul has also reportedly departed the series amid an ongoing legal dispute with her former partner, Dakota Mortensen, which followed widely publicized allegations that she failed a drug test.
For Matthews, however, the primary focus is now firmly rooted in leaving behind a physical space that she closely associates with years of profound physical and emotional distress, while simultaneously building a healthy, safe, and secure environment where her family can look forward to creating joyful new memories.
