Mormon Wives Star Mikayla Matthews Reveals New Details About Her Intense Health Battle

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Mikayla Matthews, 26, opens up on TikTok about a harrowing health battle, describing it as intense and traumatic, and says she’s preparing to travel soon as the next step in her journey.

If you watch The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, you know Mikayla Matthews does not keep her life off-camera. This week, the 26-year-old got brutally honest about a long, undiagnosed health situation that has her relocating to Hawaii, planning a Europe detox retreat, and documenting every skin flare and fix in daily TikToks.

Where she is and why

Matthews confirmed she recently moved to Hawaii to chase treatment for two things she still does not have clean answers for: an ongoing skin issue and a chronic illness that doctors haven’t pinned down. In a TikTok posted Thursday, April 30, she called the whole thing intense and traumatic, but also said she feels like there is a reason she is going through it and she is grateful she can actually pursue care.

"I could not imagine not being in a place financially that I’m in right now or having the support that I have and having to go through this alone."

In the caption of that same video, she added another curveball: she is heading to Europe soon for a detox retreat. Make of that what you will — she’s clearly trying everything.

The daily updates (yes, she’s vlogging it)

By Friday, May 1, she told followers she is in a major transitional phase with her health, making big changes and starting a daily vlog series where she will open every video with a skin check-in. The next day — Day 3 in Hawaii — she posted that she finally got fully into the ocean and tagged The Westin Maui, calling it her biggest win so far.

Her Saturday, May 2 update was surprisingly specific: she’s been holding back on moisturizers to coax her natural oils out. No redness, mostly dryness, and her legs, which had been a problem area, looked and felt better. The plan after filming: shower, lotion, exfoliate, then back into the ocean.

What happened, day by day

• Thu, Apr 30: Tearful TikTok about how difficult the experience has been, gratitude for support and financial stability; mentions an upcoming Europe detox retreat.
• Earlier this week: Confirms she relocated to Hawaii for treatment tied to an unspecified skin issue and an undiagnosed chronic illness.
• Fri, May 1: Says she is in a transformative health period and will vlog daily skin updates.
• Sat, May 2 (Day 3 in Hawaii): Celebrates getting fully into the ocean; reports less redness, lingering dryness; outlines shower/lotion/exfoliate routine before another ocean dip.

The bigger, messier picture

Matthews has been in this limbo for years — sick, but without a firm diagnosis. In 2024, she told Us Weekly she still hadn’t found answers. She said she feels better than she once did but still rides the ups and downs, which is especially frustrating while life and career stuff are taking off. That disconnect has been the hardest part for her.

She also shared how bad it got at home with four kids and an estranged husband, Jace Terry: there was a period when the backs of her legs and every crease on her body were cut and bleeding. Standing up, walking, basic childcare — all of it was a struggle. Her words for that stretch were blunt: confidence at an all-time low, and a quality of life that felt like it fell through the floor.

And if you’ve followed her long enough, you know this mystery has sparked some out-there theories along the way — at one point she even wondered if she might be allergic to Jace’s semen. It gives you a sense of how far she has been willing to look for a cause.

Bottom line

Right now, Mikayla is all-in on a Hawaii reset, daily ocean time, and a Europe detox trip on the horizon. No diagnosis yet, but she’s sharing everything in real time — the good, the dry, and the weird.