Latest news with #Mormonism
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE British mother, 45, and her 25-year-old Albanian boyfriend who boasted of steamy romance and 'lots of sex' rocked by her bombshell confession
A 45-year-old mother who is dating a man 20 years her junior got into an explosive row with her partner after revealing she'd converted to Mormonism in secret - meaning they could no longer have sex. Shorna, from south-east London, fell for Albanian national Adnand, 25, while on holiday in Crete two years ago with her 15-year-old daughter. The charming hotel worker came to Shorna's aid when she found herself locked out of her room - leaving her so charmed, she returned to the Greek island on her own the next month to get to know him better. Appearing on 90 Day Fiancé, the couple gushed over their fairytale romance - until Shorna dropped an explosive bombshell on her partner. After a year apart, Shorna and Adnand were reunited as she flew out to Crete to see him - but she didn't kiss him on arrival. Later, she explained to her partner, who is Muslim but not practising, that she now followed the Church of Latter Day Saints - which believes that sexual desires should only be fulfilled within heterosexual marriage. When Shorna first broke the news to her partner she thought he was joking - but his bewilderment soon turned to anger that she'd hidden it from him. Despite the row, the pair had initially been besotted with each other - with Adnand describing Shorna as 'super hot' and boasting that they were having 'a lot of sex'. However, when the couple spent some time apart due to the thousands of miles between them, Shorna underwent a huge life change without telling her partner. She began to attend Mormon lessons, was baptised and committed herself to the Church of the Latter Day Saints and its conventions, which ban alcohol, tobacco and cigarettes, and sexual activity outside of marriage. Speaking to MailOnline, Shorna - who believes 'age is just a number' - said she first came across Mormonism when an Instagram post popped up on her feed after she came back from her romantic Greek trip. She said she was 'intrigued' by what the faith could offer her, after wanting to re-discover religion. 'I didn't exactly want to become a Mormon. Every Christmas or New Year's Eve, I would write things that I want to achieve, the goals I want to set, and then I would put them in a little jar,' she said. 'I thought this was the time for me to draw closer to God because things weren't working out for me. I wasn't married, I'm a single mum and I thought if I centred myself around God more I would be in a better situation with my life, so that was my initial goal.' Shorna reached out to the church and started attending Mormon lessons - and found she liked the message it was promoting. 'I [saw] the community vibe [and] everyone was lovely. It was such a welcoming experience to me, I felt connected to the church and to my brothers and sisters.' But she realised that it was a big commitment and questioned whether Mormonism was worth giving up the 'party' lifestyle she had always known. Shorna said: 'One day they invited me to a baptism at church and I witnessed the baptism and I felt something come over me, I started to cry, I was uncontrollably crying. 'I couldn't stop and they took me away and said the reason why I was crying was that the holy spirit was speaking to me and they said they thought it was my time to get baptised. I got baptised two weeks later.' She prayed Adnand would accept her religious calling and respect that she would not be able to be intimate with him until they are married - despite the fact they'd already had sex. But Adnand was left in a state of shock at his lover's revelation - after initially thinking it was a joke. He later told the camera: 'I am angry with Shorna because she didn't tell me before about her religion's rules.' He sensed that something had changed, noting he didn't feel the same 'chemistry and passion' as he had the last time they'd seen each other. After Shorna apologised for not being honest with him, Adnand said: 'I am very disappointed and I don't know what to do or what to think.' He then retaliated: 'I didn't tell you before, but I am Muslim, I can have six wives. I will start to practise it tomorrow.' But an agitated Shorna argued the situation was not 'tit for tat' as the pair spiralled into a furious row. Later, a 'sad' Shorna reflected on their disagreement and admitted she understood why her partner was upset by the news. 'We were in a physical relationship and then I saw him a couple of months later and say that we can't have sex before marriage so I know that it was a massive thing thrown at him,' she said. '[I suppose] it's like we've gone back in our relationship rather than moving forwards. '[What he said] hurt me, because I'm thinking, hold on, I'm not competing with six wives, it's just me, me only. 'The reason I wanted to do it face to face is so that I could be there for him and for whatever highs and lows he was experiencing, we could go through it together. Which is why I felt like it was more appropriate to tell him face to face.' Eventually, Adnand decided to choose 'love over sex' after reflecting on the 'good time' they'd had together before Shorna converted. Shorna - who owns her own cleaning business - and Adnand have a two-decade age gap between them, but this has never bothered her. 'When I met Adnand, I didn't ask his age, we had an instant connection, I felt like I had known him for years,' she said. 'He was a gentleman and the conversation was flowing. We were enjoying the moment, we were enjoying going out to town and holding hands, walking along the pier.' Shorna said she only realised that Adnand was 25 by the time she had arrived back in the UK but it was 'too late' because they had already built up a strong connection Shorna said she only realised that he was 25 by the time she had arrived back in the UK but it was 'too late' because they had already built up a strong connection. She added: 'I said to myself that age is just a number, if you've made someone and you're happy and you feel like this relationship can go further, why not? I don't care what people have to say, it doesn't matter to me.' Shorna's youngest daughter, who was there when the couple met for the first time, approves of Adnand and thinks he's a 'nice person', whereas her eldest child believes that he is too young for her. 'I think because there is a year or two age gap between [Adnand and my eldest daughter], she looks at life differently. She thought it was a holiday romance,' she said. 'She said "Mum, we are the same age, I like going out and partying. What makes you think he's not going to do the same? He's young, he says he wants to get married but is he ready to commit to you?" 'My eldest daughter was not behind the relationship; she thought he was too young for me.' Shorna says it doesn't phase her that Adnand still goes out and parties in Greece because 'you can't have a relationship without trust'. 'He's young, if he wants to go out partying, I don't mind, as long as there's no cheating,' she added. Despite Shorna going through a party phase where she would fall asleep at the club and 'kissing everyone', she claimed that she didn't miss going on a night out and getting drunk alongside her boyfriend. Shorna is confident that she has met 'the one' and wants to spend the rest of her life with Adnand - despite their large age gap. 'He's so caring, he's so thoughtful, he makes me feel safe, he makes me feel secure. He calls me to make sure I've eaten and to make sure I'm okay,' she said. 'I felt like this is what I wanted from a relationship, this is the person I've been looking for all my life.' Shorna said she would love for Adnand to become a Mormon so that he could 'experience my faith, we could go to the temple together and do things with the church'. In the show, the business owner said she had planned an idyllic bike ride to the top of a mountain in a bid to get them to reconnect without having a sexual relationship. However, she admitted that she found it hard to stop staring at his body while he was bent over the bike, as she peddled behind him. When asked if she found it hard to resist her urges, Shorna said: 'There were times where I was thinking, "Okay, we are going to get married so maybe we could kiss because if he's going to be my husband, then God's not going to judge me and it's going to be okay". 'I questioned my faith many times as well, I was thinking if this was the right path for me, I was wondering about what would happen if I had sex with Adnand. How would this affect my life and my relationship with God? I was questioning myself because I didn't want to upset the church, God, or myself. 'Sometimes I would read the Book of Mormon or read the Bible to help me strengthen my faith because I'm not perfect. Even though I decided to get baptised, I still make mistakes; I'm not perfect. 'Once you repent your sins and you've forgiven yourself, then I know I can move on and put it aside. It was quite difficult at times, I'm not going to lie. It was very, very, very difficult.' The mother-of-two said that the only things she misses from her old life are drinking tea - which has caffeine in it - and having sex before marriage. And it seems Shorna is keen to tie the knot after she was convinced he was going to propose to her at the top of the mountain. 'At one point I thought I was going to get a ring but I didn't,' she said on the show. 'The view was perfect and then we could've got married and then had a sexual relationship, so simple.' Shorna is currently going through perimenopause and has told Adnand that she cannot have children. She said: 'He was happy with that. He met my grandson over video call and said that even though I can't have kids, he was happy to be a figure in my grandson's life. 'I don't think he felt disheartened that we can't have kids. We were looking forward to getting married, for him to come to the UK to meet my family, settle down and have the family life that I had always wanted.'
Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
90 Day Fiancé star opens up on what it's really like on dating show
A 90 Day Fiancé UK star has opened up about what it's really like to appear on the hit reality TV show, which has returned for a new series. A 90 Day Fiancé UK star has revealed the reality behind appearing on the programme. The latest series has landed on Discovery Plus, promising viewers a feast of explosive drama and heated clashes. Fresh couples take centre stage as they navigate the complexities of long-distance romance, tackling everything from burning jealousy to covert religious transformations. The first three episodes dropped on July 13, with subsequent instalments arriving each Sunday thereafter. Viewers have already witnessed explosive rows between one pair following a secret religious shift that eventually surfaced. Shorna, 45, maintains a long distance romance with Adnand, 25, but her conversion to Mormonism now prohibits any intimate contact before marriage. The revelation blindsided Adnand, who struggled to process the bombshell on screen. In an exclusive conversation with Reach PLC's Screen Time team, Shorna discussed the heated exchange and confirmed that viewers witnessed completely authentic scenes. Regarding his response to her announcement, she revealed: "I was shocked, I didn't expect that from him because we'd built up a connection. "I knew it was going to be a difficult conversation to have, but I didn't expect him to act the way he did." She continued: "It's all real. Whatever you see with my story, it's all real. I can say it's 100% real, nothing's made up. My faith is important to me and so is my family." Shorna's getaway to Greece with her youngest daughter took an unexpected twist when they found themselves locked out of their hotel room. In need of help, they encountered 25 year old Adnand, a charming hotel employee, reports the Express. The spark between them was undeniable as Shorna felt an "instant connection" during a ride on his golf buggy. Back in London, the pull was too strong to resist, and Shorna jetted off to Greece for a second time, enjoying eight days of romance. The couple has since maintained a long-distance love affair. Shorna candidly shared her experience with filming crews capturing every moment, including the tiffs, as she said: "At first I was like what are you doing, what are you up to but after time, getting to know the producers and the staff, they're so lovely, they make you feel at ease, it was just natural." She emphasised the authenticity of their journey, adding: "It's all natural, the emotions, the highs and lows we had, it was all natural." Defying sceptics of her age-gap romance, Shorna is determined to show that love knows no bounds as she said: "My daughters and friends were against it, I just want to prove age is just a number." Despite initial doubts, Shorna is convinced of their bond, explaining: "At first my daughter thought it was a holiday romance but I said we have the connection, we were happy. We had a whirlwind romance, we fell in love quickly." The question remains whether Shorna and Adnand can overcome their differences, with viewers eagerly awaiting the next instalment on Sunday, July 20.
Buzz Feed
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
29 Thoughts I Had While Watching The First Ep Of "Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives"
🚨CONTENT WARNING🚨 If you've been on the internet lately, then I'm sure you've seen all the buzz around The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The second season recently concluded in the most dramatic reunion. So, to keep up with the masses, I decided to watch the first episode! To my shock and awe, it's not a sequel to The Secret Life of The American Teenager. Though, spoiler alert, they're not that far off from one another! Going into this journey, my knowledge of Mormonism didn't extend past The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, The Book of Mormon and a soda shop called Sips. At the very least, whether I like the show or not, I'm excited to learn something new! And if that comes with drama, then so be it. (Spoiler alert: I learned nothing, but there was a lot of drama.) So, even though no one asked, here are all the thoughts I had while watching the first episode: Before we jump in, here's the synopsis that Hulu gives for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: "The scandalous world of a group of Mormon mom influencers implodes when they get caught in the midst of a swinging sex scandal that makes international headlines. Now, their sisterhood is shook to its core. Faith, friendship and reputations are all on the line. Will #MomTok be able to survive and continue to give the rulebook a run for its money, or will this group fall from grace?" Talk about starting off with a bang, am I right? The fact that "Unholy" by Sam Smith ft. Kim Petras is the first song we hear tells me all that I need to know about this series going forward. All I can say is that I AM LOCKED IN! Is this relegated Mormon-wear? Or did they just get a really good deal at T.J. Maxx? A child having a child... I'm not judging! But I am wary... So it appears that #MomTok was created by Taylor Frankie Paul and it was supposed to showcase a new generation of Mormon women. They danced, they cussed, they hooked up with each other's is the future, people! We're meeting our ladies — this season will feature: Whitney, Mikayla, Jen, Jessi, Layla, Demi, Mayci, and Taylor. I was hoping that they would each get their own intro a la Real Housewives, but alas, they did not. Looks like the OGs of #MomTok were Taylor, Whitney, Mayci, and Mikayla. Kinda sad that Taylor's life imploded after the swinging came to light and even more sad that she couldn't talk to her mom friends for MONTHS. However, I am confused as to why Taylor felt the need to share activities? Was there a leak? Or did she think that the world needed to know how she and her friends got down? Seems like not EVERYTHING needed to be shared on the internet, but that's just me. Been there also, let's unpack this! Taylor is talking about her new boyfriend Dakota who is a cutie, but also, comes with drama — allegedly, he was hooking up with other girls at the beginning of their relationship. Meanwhile, Taylor is going through her divorce and co-parenting with her ex ALL WHILE dealing with a public scandal. If there were ever a time to be single, now is it girl! More info: Taylor shared that she and her ex were getting divorced because, while swinging, she stepped out on their marriage in a way that wasn't agreed upon at the time. Like, kudos to Taylor for taking also, I don't think this needed to be said on TikTok one coulda stayed in the drafts, IMO. To be honest, I still don't quite know what #MomTok stood (or stands) for but get your bag, I guess! A wise man once said: "Do it lady!" Any community who will judge you for your past wrongs is not a community you wanna be in! A lil' harsh, Mama Liann. I do not kink shame. All God's children! The not-so-secret lives of Mormon wives. Based off of the conversation between the ladies, it seems like a lot of these couples either need to be in open relationships or not in relationships at all... This is Demi. She is 29. She and her husband, Bret, have been married for three years. He is 46. Do with that information what you will. So, not ONLY is Taylor hopping into a new relationship months after her divorce and in the middle of a scandal, the man she's now dating is a recovering addict AND THEN she drops THIS bombshell? Do condoms not exist in Utah? I'm not even 20 minutes in and we have several sex scandals (swinging AND cheating), a potential pregnancy, a recovering drug sound like the set up to a really bad joke. ^Live footage of me watching all these women younger than me living the lives they live. The prodigal Whitney returns! Whitney and her family moved to Hawaii to escape the backlash from Taylor and #MomTok, but now she's back and better than ever? (Spoiler alert: She was not, in fact, better than ever). I'm any of these women actually like each other? Like, regardless of the scandal, are they even friends? I also wanna know why! Normalize keeping things to yourself! I thought one of the pillars of Mormonism was abstaining from pre-/extra-marital sex and alcohol. Perchance, the Mormon church isn't the one for you? Taylor, girl, this is a bad take: You hurt a lot of people / aired out a lot of dirty laundry...a little remorse would be a good thing. I have to remember that all these women are, like, early-to-mid 20s. Their frontal lobes are still developing! On one hand, I get it. On the other hand, Kim, there are people that are dying. Earlier in the episode, some of the #MomTok ladies were discussing a potential cheating scandal between Whitney and her husband, Conner. Whitney immediately shut it down, but looks like there was some truth to those rumors! Soft swinging? Lying? Cheating? DIVORCE, BABES. DIVORCE! Whitney just revealed that Conner has been sexting girls he met on Tinder for their entire marriage... To the tune of "Hot To Go" by Chappell Roan: D-I-V-O-R-C-E! Put the cameras down and get every single one of these women in therapy, I swear to God. I am speechless. This is not the reaction you should have when your "best friend" tells you about her miscarriage: After Whitney shared that Conner's been sexting other women their entire marriage, this is her reaction to Taylor's news. RELAX, MY GUY! In that same breath, Dakota says that he cannot be with anyone who "parties." Taylor says she won't give up alcohol. I believe this is what we call an impasse. WHAT IS GOING ON????? A neighborhood called the cops because there was a domestic dispute between Taylor and Dakota. And just like that... Shock. And. Awe. Somehow, I think they have bigger problems than this: I am Team Therapist! Wow. OK. Talk about an emotional roller coaster, one that I'm unfortunately on because I am officially hooked. Do I want to be? No. Am I going to binge-watch Seasons 1 and 2 like it's my job? Absolutely. Watch The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives on Hulu.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘I'm Glad My Mom Died' Gets 51% Discount Ahead of Jennifer Aniston Adaptation
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. Jennette McCurdy's memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died was an instant hit when it was released in 2022, topping multiple best-seller charts for weeks. Now, the bestselling memoir is being adapted into a series at Apple TV+ with Jennifer Aniston starring as McCurdy's mom. More from Rolling Stone This Shirt Looks Like a Dress Shirt, Feels Like a Tee. Guys Are Ditching Everything Else for It How to Watch England vs. India Test Series Online WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship Livestream: How to Watch Fever vs. Lynx Live Online for Free McCurdy and Ari Katcher (Ramy, Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show) are adapting the book for the small screen and will serve as co-showrunners. The 10-episode series 'will center on the codependent relationship between an 18-year-old actress in a hit kids' show, and her narcissistic mother who relishes in her identity as 'a starlet's mother,'' per the logline. Ahead of the series' announcement, I'm Glad My Mom Died (hardcover) has been steeply discounted on Amazon. Normally $27.99, the best-seller is currently on sale for $13.73 — a 51% discount. Grab the memoir now while it's on sale ahead of the series' release. $13.73 $27.99 51% off Buy Now On Amazon I'm Glad My Mom Died centers around the abuse McCurdy suffered from her mother, but it also recounts the manipulative, inappropriate treatment of child stars at Nickelodeon. Although some have been critical of McCurdy's title, the overall response has been positive. Just one day after its release, McCurdy's memoir sold out at major booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I'm Glad My Mom Died spent nine weeks on Amazon's best-sellers chart. In the book, the iCarly star remembers anorexia-inducing body shaming, manipulation through her mother's religion (Mormonism), and falsified paternity — all at the hands of her mom. 'I'm in the ICU with my dying mother,' writes the 30-year-old, 'and the thing that I'm sure will get her to wake up is the fact that in the days since mom's been hospitalized, my fear and sadness have morphed into the perfect anorexia-motivation cocktail and, finally, I have achieved mom's current goal weight for me. Eighty-nine pounds.' The memoir also delves into the underbelly of Nickelodeon. McCurdy was one of the network's stars in the late oughts and 2010s, playing Sam in iCarly and the show's spin-off, Sam & Cat, with Ariana Grande. At Nickelodeon, 'The Creator' (who is likely iCarly's creator and producer, Dan Schneider) pressured McCurdy to wear bikinis, drink alcohol before she was of legal drinking age, and massaged her without consent. 'I want to say something, to tell him to stop,' she writes, 'but I'm so scared of offending him.' At one point, McCurdy declined $300,000 in hush money from the network. McCurdy also details frustrations with Ariana Grande, her co-star on Sam & Cat, who was allowed to ditch filming sessions for other opportunities, while McCurdy was not. 'So I have to turn down movies while Ariana's off whistle-toning at the Billboard Music Awards? Fuck. This,' writes McCurdy. Pick up I'm Glad My Mom Died now at Amazon for just $18.59 — 34% less than retail — while it's on sale. Best of Rolling Stone The Best Audiophile Turntables for Your Home Audio System
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Sorenson Capital raises $150 million third fund to chase security and enterprise software deals
Sorenson Capital—like Mormonism, the electric guitar, and frisbee—has origins in Utah, and expanded beyond. Rob Rueckert, who spent 15 years at Intel Capital, joined the VC firm in 2015 right as it was looking beyond Utah. 'A number of people tried to recruit me before, and I was happy where I was at,' said Rueckert. 'Sorenson made a lot of sense for me because it scratched an itch. At the time, it was a regional fund. They said: 'We want to grow the practice to be a national fund. We want to grow our asset classes. We want you to do that for us.'' Sorenson has since done just that: The firm—now with offices in both Salt Lake City and Palo Alto—has invested in CloudKnox (acquired by Microsoft in 2021), Fastly (went public in 2019), Harness (valued at $3.7 billion), and Talon Security (acquired by Palo Alto Networks for a reported $600 million). Now, Sorenson has raised its third fund at $150 million, Fortune can exclusively report. The new fund is close in size to the firm's second fund. 'We're experts in B2B software and security,' said Ken Elefant, Sorenson partner. 'We are definitely not a generalist fund. We're definitely not a 'spray and pray' fund. We work very closely with our founders to open up doors with customers and partners. The only way that you can do that is to have a really good idea on how that industry works and who'd be the initial buyers for that product.' Sorenson's strategy is notable for its stark clarity. The firm, full stop, focuses on early-stage companies and emphasizes scaling over product development. The firm focuses solely on enterprise software and cybersecurity (the portfolio is about 40% security right now). The portfolio is deliberately small and structured to stay that way, as Sorenson makes between six and seven investments each year. The firm's emphasis specializes in helping startups with go-to-market, building sales and marketing teams. 'That's where we help out, because that's where [founders] need it most,' said Rueckert. 'That's where an investor that's seen the movie over and over again can pick up tips and tricks.' Parker Ence, CEO and cofounder at Jump, told Fortune via email that Sorenson has helped recruit employees, navigate fundraising, and found the startup 'way before we had product market fit, and consistently checked in with us, encouraged us, sent us a steady stream of introductions to potential customers and industry experts.' Enterprise software and cybersecurity are both in the AI set to change in the AI era. Traditional customer relationship management (CRM) software is particularly in the crosshairs, said Rueckert, who believes AI will automate data collection and generate insights automatically, says CRMs will change completely over the next five years. 'The whole purpose of the CRM was to have the person input the data and then have the manager look at it,' said Rueckert. 'Then they attempt to make some decisions. If all of that can be done with AI, why do you need a CRM?' Cybersecurity is also set to be affected by AI: 'When we moved from on-prem to the cloud, we knew there would be security issues associated with that,' Elefant said. 'And when we move from deterministic software to AI software, there are going to be huge changes, as well.' In the end, it's a strategy notable for its discipline—Sorenson is as much defined by what it is as what it's not. And it's gotten results: A source familiar with the firm's performance said that Sorenson has zero write-offs to date, and only three companies have ever exited below cost, but capital was still recovered. Why does this matter? It means that Sorenson, which declined to comment on those metrics, has been creative about finding the best possible outcome for companies, even those that aren't soaring. 'We're not trying to be all things to all people,' said Rueckert. 'We're not going to make the product better. We're investing in the company because we believe in the CEO, and we believe in the product.' See you tomorrow, Allie GarfinkleX: @agarfinksEmail: a deal for the Term Sheet newsletter here. Nina Ajemian curated the deals section of today's newsletter. Subscribe here. Fortune recently unveiled a new ongoing series, Fortune AIQ, dedicated to navigating AI's real-world impact. Our second collection of stories make up a special digital issue of Fortune in which we explore how technology is already changing the way the biggest companies do business in finance, law, agriculture, manufacturing, and more. These companies are rolling up their sleeves to implement AI. Read more AI avatars are here in full force—and they're serving some of the world's biggest companies. Read more Will AI hold up in court? Attorneys say it's already changing the practice of law. Read more Banking on AI: Firms such as BNY balance high risk with the potential for transformative tech. Read more Recycling has been a flop, financially. AMP Robotics is using AI to make it pay off. Read more AI on the farm: The startup helping farmers slash losses and improve cows' health. Read more Can AI help America make stuff again? Read more This story was originally featured on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
