My Five Wives’ Rosemary Williams accuses polygamist leader dad of sexual abuse

Rosemary Williams - My Five Wives

Rosemary Williams of TLC’s My Five Wives claimed in a lengthy blog post this weekend that she was sexually abused during her childhood by her father, Lynn A. Thompson. The claims are sure to have significant repercussions as Thompson is the leader of the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB), which is believed to be the second-largest organized polygamy group in Utah.

“I am not coming forward to get back at my dad or anyone. I have no vendetta against my parents or the group that I grew up in. I still love the good things about my parents and the AUB,” Rosemary said. “This is about advocating for all those girls, boys and women who, either now or in the future, could be taken advantage of by the cloak of silence under which molesters hide.”

She explained that her dad’s inappropriate sexual behavior with her was limited to one incident when he purposefully rubbed her breasts when she was 12. However, she said she’s spoken with another woman who had a similar experience with Thompson, which also damaged that woman’s views “on life, men, and God” and caused her “profound self-worth issues.”

Rosemary Williams and Brady Williams - My Five Wives
Rosemary Williams and husband Brady Williams.

Rosemary said she’s going public with the allegations after first attempting to speak with another high-ranking official in the AUB. She is also concerned because her father was recently appointed the AUB’s Head of Priesthood. She said, “I am hoping to change the habits of generations of many in the religion who feel that patriarchy (which, in the AUB religion is institutionalized in the priesthood) is more important than the integrity of the men who hold positions in their patriarchal structure.”

When contacted by The Associated Press on Friday, Thompson said his daughter’s allegations are “not true.” A spokeswoman for the Utah Attorney General’s Office said they are not aware of any formal complaints submitted against Thompson, who now leads an estimated 7,500 people in the AUB.


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