In just a handful of weeks, Heather Gay will debut in her latest series, Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay. For most of her life, Mormonism was at the center of her everyday dealings. But time and lived experiences have changed Heather. And now, she is further shining light on the darker aspects of this religion.
Heather has often spoken out about leaving the church, both on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and in her books, Bad Mormon and Good Time Girl. But as Heather notes in the teaser of this series, “The real secret lives are much darker, deeper, and more tragic.” Therefore, she is helping viewers uncover “the dark history” of this religion, as Heather hopes to “bring awareness and enact change” for others within this belief system. So, when and where does Surviving Mormonism debut? And what can we expect to see?
What is the Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay premiere date?
Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay is a new, limited series on Bravo. Spanning three episodes, Heather aims to reveal the darker truths regarding “the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” She will do so starting in the first episode, which premieres Tuesday, November 11. The time slot is set at 9:15 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo following a supersized episode of her other series, RHOSLC.
What can viewers expect to see in this debut episode? According to Bravo, in Episode 1, “A Bad Mormon,” Heather will be “exploring the journey of her exodus from the church of Latter-day Saints,” alongside David Matheson, “a former Mormon who has been called the godfather of conversion therapy. Now out and living as a gay man himself, David details the harmful teachings he once practiced and believed in.”
The following day, the remaining two episodes will drop. Episode 2 will be called “The Highest Level of Heaven.” Meanwhile, Episode 3, “Change Is Gonna Come,” follows Heather taking on this aptly named charge. However, fans will need to stream both of these episodes.
Will Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay be streaming online?
Fans can stream the final two episodes of Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay exclusively on Peacock. Thankfully, Episode 1 will also land on this streaming giant on the same day, November 12.
During Episode 2 on Peacock, Heather will confront her “guilt for turning her back on an old friend who was critical of the Mormon church.” When she and this friend sit down, “his story of abuse rocks her to her core. As Heather digs deeper, the stories of more survivors convince her that his experience is the tip of the iceberg.” So Heather will also bring in a former Bishop, who will further report “on his experiences inside the church itself.”
In the final episode on Peacock, Heather brings on sisters Jennie and Lizzy, “who suffered indescribable abuse at the hands of their father.” Even though these sisters reported “the abuse multiple times to their Bishop and high-ranking church leadership,” their cries for help were “consistently ignored.” Cue Heather, eager “to take action” on behalf of those who might need it.
Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay teaser trailer
Bravo recently released a teaser trailer for Surviving Mormonism. As Heather explains in this reel, she wants to shed light on the reported abuses within her former faith. And she will do so with the help of other humans who have also left this practice.
In this sneak peek, we see Heather engaging in meaningful conversations with former LDS congregants. As they discuss their religious experiences, emotions run high. “I spent my life being someone I wasn’t,” a man notes, followed by a woman, revealing, “My earliest memories are of abuse.” In a third conversation, someone else asks a gutting question, wondering, “Had they taken action, could it have saved me?”
Realizing that something is “still going on” and “has to stop,” Heather begins to cry, admitting, “I just feel overwhelmed and horrified.” While the LDS Church has not commented on this series, they have denied other claims by saying they have “no tolerance for abuse of any kind. Those who engage in abusive behavior are rightfully subject to prosecution by legal authorities and also face loss of Church membership.”
More Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay details
Heather serves as an executive producer on this series. As she explains in the premiere, she grew up in the Latter-day Saint church and even attended Brigham Young University. But when she divorced a member of the church and left this organization, she began unpacking all of its alleged harmful ideologies. And she quickly realized that something was amiss, which her growing platform might be able to address.
Now, as she stressed to US Weekly, her “life purpose” is to “represent hope for people. [I want] to shine light on hurtful practices that we’ve never been able to talk about. And so to be able to bring light to that and become kind of a central figure for that ex-Mormon community and talk about things that [were never] talked about before, that gives me great satisfaction.”
Tune in this November 11 and 12 to watch her further complete this mission with her trusted guests, courtesy of Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay.
Starting November 12, Surviving Mormonism with Heather Gay is available to stream on Peacock.
TELL US – WILL YOU WATCH SURVIVING MORMONISM WITH HEATHER GAY? ARE YOU GLAD HEATHER IS USING HER PLATFORM TO HIGHLIGHT PROBLEMS WITHIN THIS FAITH?
