For more than half a century, Shirlyn Watson believed she was married to a future prophet - a man destined by God to lead thousands of followers in the Apostolic United Brethren, a fundamentalist Mormon sect that practices polygamy. Now aged 71, she's taking him to court.
The Reality Behind the Polygamy Facade
Shirlyn Watson spent 51 years as the second wife of David Watson, sharing him with at least seven other women throughout their marriage. The glamorous portrayal of plural marriage popularised by reality television shows like Sister Wives bears little resemblance to her experience.
While social media showcases carefully curated images of Mormon influencers like Hannah Neeleman, who presents an idyllic farm life to her 10 million followers, Shirlyn's reality involved raising 11 children largely alone while her husband divided his attention between multiple households.
The breaking point came when Watson allegedly changed the locks on their shared Utah property while Shirlyn was away commemorating the life of their tenth child, Robert, who had Down's Syndrome and had recently passed away.
A Life of Sacrifice and Neglect
Now suffering from health issues resulting from carbon monoxide poisoning 25 years ago, Shirlyn finds herself fighting for what she claims was promised - a 25% stake in the $1 million property in Manti, central Utah, where she lived with Watson and three other wives.
According to court documents seen by the Daily Mail, Shirlyn invested approximately $37,000 in the property and worked throughout the marriage, sharing all her earnings with Watson. She ran Shirlyn's Natural Foods chain and later worked as secretary for his car-body repair business, though she no longer has connections to either enterprise.
Her daughter Emily Lee provided disturbing insights into life within the secretive sect, describing her father as "the biggest worthless piece of s**t" and revealing that women who leave their husbands are "lucky to leave with their children and the clothes on their backs".
The Power Structure of Plural Marriage
The Apostolic United Brethren operates under a strict patriarchal system where women cannot legally leave marriages without the prophet's permission. Watson became the sect's supreme leader in 2021, a position requiring at least seven wives.
Emily explained that her father maintained a rotating schedule between wives but consistently favoured younger spouses, never choosing Shirlyn as his preferred partner. She recalled instances where the "favourite wife" would call obsessively throughout the evening, prompting Watson to abandon scheduled time with Shirlyn.
The sect clings to beliefs abandoned by mainstream Mormons, including that plural marriage is essential for reaching Heaven and that husbands determine their wives' eternal fate - either calling them from the grave on Resurrection Day or condemning them to servitude.
Watson's lawyers have denied many of Shirlyn's allegations, insisting he maintains "100 percent ownership" of the property and denying that any formal marriage existed between them. Under Utah law, which decriminalised polygamy in 2020, Watson is legally married only to his first wife.
Tonia Tewell of Holding Out Help, an organisation assisting people escaping polygamy, reported a 273% increase in Mormons fleeing the religion since Utah loosened polygamy laws. Her group has helped 591 people this year alone, primarily women and children leaving situations where "the wives and children are living in poverty".
Shirlyn's case highlights the challenging position of women in fundamentalist sects who dare to leave without permission, facing potential homelessness after lifetimes of contribution to families that the law doesn't recognise.
