Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Surviving Mormonism’ On Peacock, Where ‘RHOSLC’ Star Heather Gay Gives A Voice To The Voiceless

Heather Gay has been speaking about her experience as a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for years, whether it be in her two memoirs, or on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. But now, the famed reality star is shedding light on the stories of others who have been steamrolled by the church and its strict community in Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay. We watched all three episodes, which will be available to stream on Peacock on Nov. 12. Keep reading for everything we thought about Gay’s latest call to action.

Opening Shot: The docuseries opens with Gay driving around in her car, talking about the Mormon influencer boom and how their lives have been made to seem so perfect, when, in actuality, something much darker lurks in the shadows of their community.

The Gist: Gay, made famous by The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, is peeling back the layers on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the three-part docuseries, the reality star opens up about her experience growing up in the Mormon culture, but more importantly, she highlights the stories of others who have been wronged and silenced by the church.

What Shows Will This Remind You Of? If you’re looking for more content like The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City or The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, this is not it. Instead, Surviving Mormonism falls more in line with any other docuseries about people escaping cults.

Our Take:  Surviving Mormonism takes Gay out of the chaotic environment of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and allows her to use her platform to give a voice to the voiceless. In exposing the harrowing nature behind the LDS church, Gay speaks to David Matheson, a man who advocated for and taught conversation therapy to gay men, only to later come out as gay himself. She also speaks to a close friend of hers, who details the rape and abuse he endured from a fellow church member as a young boy, and how the church—his parents, included—did nothing to protect him from his abuser. The three-episode series, while dark, is remarkably informative in the way it carefully handles such delicate stories. We watch as Gay becomes emotional alongside these people who have, essentially, had their youths stolen from them in the name of God and church funding. While Gay has spent years sending out warning signals about the LDS church’s red flags, she largely takes a backseat in this series, serving as a shoulder to cry on for her fellow former church members and as a narrator into the history of the religion. What’s interesting, in addition, is the way Gay is able to take accountability for her part in turning a blind eye to the atrocities before she was ready to accept the truth about the lifestyle she had grown so accustomed to. Her efforts to amplify such stories, holding the LDS church, and other organizations that not only protect abusers, but give them a platform, accountable, shine through in this documentary, proving Gay’s powerful resistance is only just getting started.

Sleeper Star: The true stars of this docuseries are the real-life people who decided to speak out against their abusers, and name names.

Most Pilot-y Line: “I never thought it was gonna look like this, where people look to me to be the public voice of Mormon critical thought.” We love a Real Housewife who can stand on business and use her platform for good!

Our Call: STREAM IT. If you’re intrigued by shows such as RHOSLC or The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, this docuseries will give you a better understanding into the culture they were all born into.

If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.