The 27-year-old makeup guru, who is not afraid to be candid and unfiltered, recently had to address cruel speculation regarding her marriage to Cody Hawken as fans noticed that he was missing in her latest videos.
Mikayla is currently on a work trip in Seoul, South Korea, and on June 24, she took to TikTok to set the record straight and put the negativity to rest with her usual bluntness.
In the video, she asked, pointedly, “Do you take your husband to work with you? I simply cannot comprehend. I am working in Korea. I spend my days in labs, creating makeup. Why must Cody be here?”
Her remarks were in reaction to a viewer who had criticized her by saying that she had forgotten about her husband- a statement that Mikayla considered as being intrusive and ill-informed.
Most influencers prefer to turn a blind eye to online noise, but Mikayla decided to speak the truth instead of staying silent. She said that her husband works full-time in the U.S. and just could not accompany her overseas.
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I know you think I don t have a real job, but Cody has a real 9 to 5. He has two weeks of vacation per year. He can not simply accompany me everywhere.”
Her voice was full of frustration, and rightly so. This type of commentary is not new as she went on to explain.
When she travels or goes solo in content, people assume that she is not in a relationship, some even going to the extent of calling her a horrible wife.
She said, bluntly, “Can you guys just f—— stop? I do not get the mentality here. Cody is a grown ass man. I swear to you, he does not need me.”
The post soon went viral on social media, with other creators and fans praising her on her stand against the toxic commentary that is all too common against female influencers. Her stand to protect the autonomy of her husband and her right to work without being judged was applauded by many.
A Public Relationship
In July 2023, Mikayla and Cody got married after a whirlwind romance that was partially played out on her social media accounts. Cody has been a relatively secretive person, and has not been in the spotlight much, despite his frequent appearances in her videos.
That privacy, though, has turned out to be a two-edged sword. Fans that are accustomed to seeing regular content with Cody have become curious about his absence, and some, unfortunately, have gone too far with it.
This is not the first time Mikayla has spoken out against issues regarding her husband. In April, she shared a very personal video in which she announced that Cody had gone to rehab to treat his addiction. It was a weak moment, and one that led to more open discussions of addiction, recovery, and support.
In the April TikTok, she said, “My husband Cody is in rehab, and I am ready to talk about it.” As you have all observed during the past few months, Cody has been really out of the picture, and now you know why.
She continued to say that Cody was sober when they met but relapsed twice in 2024. She never gave up on her love and support despite the setbacks.
She said at the time, “I am so proud of him. Know that sobriety, recovery, it is not linear. It is a disease, and unless you have experienced it or seen a loved one experience it, it is very difficult to comprehend.”
Her fans were largely supportive of her honesty, with many praising her bravery and vulnerability in opening up about something so personal.
Seizing the Narrative
This week was not a response of opening up, however, but of setting boundaries. To Mikayla, the speculation surrounding her relationship has gone too far.
She told viewers that she should not have to explain herself whenever she travels on business. Marriage does not imply that we are stuck together at the hip. My husband, not my assistant, Cody.
The video elicited a flood of responses, most of them sympathetic, some defensive. However, there was one thing that was obvious: Mikayla is over the intrusive questions.
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One fan wrote, “She is hustling and doing her thing.” People forget that she has a right to live her own life as well.
One of them said, “You can love a person and still do things yourself. That is how healthy relationships are.”
The fiery defense by Mikayla is a bigger reminder of the scrutiny that women in the spotlight are often subjected to not only on what they do, but also on what their partners do not.
She is not afraid to tell her truth, whether she is trying out makeup or solving real-life problems.
“And what about Cody?” He is okay, as Mikayla herself said. “He’s grown. He’s working. And he does not have to appear in all the videos to understand that we are solid.“
Love does not always have to be posted to be real.
