Layla Taylor Husband: Who Is Clayton Wessel? Full 2026 Update

Photo of author

By Pastor John

Layla Taylor became well known after appearing on the TV show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Many fans are curious about her personal life and often ask about her former husband, Clayton Wessel. Their relationship has remained a topic of interest, especially after Layla shared parts of her journey as a young mother and reality TV star.

Clayton Wessel is Layla Taylor’s ex-husband. The couple were married for nearly three years and share two sons together. After their divorce was finalized, Layla focused on co-parenting and building a new chapter in her life. As of 2026, Clayton stays mostly out of the public spotlight, while Layla continues to share updates about her family, career, and relationships with fans.

Quick Bio: Layla Taylor

AttributeDetails
Full NameLayla Taylor
Date of BirthMarch 12, 2001
Age (2026)25 years old
BirthplaceMesa/Gilbert, Arizona, USA
Current LocationUtah, USA
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityBiracial (White mother, Black father)
Zodiac SignPisces
OccupationReality TV Star, TikTok Influencer
ShowThe Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu, Season 1–4)
TikTok Followers1.2 million+
Ex-HusbandClayton Wessel
Marriage Year2020
Divorce FinalizedMay 28, 2025
ChildrenOliver “Ollie” Clay (b. 2021), Maxwell “Max” Dean (b. 2022)
Child Support$832/month (from Clayton)
Relationship Status (2026)Single — split from Mason McWhorter, February 2026
ReligionFormer LDS (left the church)

Layla Taylor’s Husband: The Quick Answer

Layla Taylor’s ex-husband is Clayton Wessel, a Utah-based salesperson. The two married in 2020 after a whirlwind relationship and share two sons together. Their divorce was finalized on May 28, 2025.

Layla is currently single as of 2026, following her February breakup with boyfriend Mason McWhorter. She is raising her two boys and starring in Season 4 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, where she now also holds an executive producer credit.

Who Is Clayton Wessel?

Clayton Wessel is the man Layla Taylor married at 19 after a rapid courtship in Utah. He is not a public figure in his own right — his name became known only through Layla’s appearance on the show.

He works in sales, with court filings from the divorce proceedings putting his income at roughly $10,000 per month. He doesn’t do interviews or comment on the show, and keeps his focus on his two sons.

Clayton Wessel: Fast Facts

  • Age: Around 30 years old (2026)
  • Hometown: Salem, Utah
  • Occupation: Salesperson (roughly $10K/month income, per court documents)
  • Sons: Oliver “Ollie” Clay Wessel and Maxwell Dean Wessel
  • Custody: Joint legal and physical custody shared with Layla

Clayton has no confirmed public social media presence tied to his name. Outside of co-parenting, he stays well clear of the media attention surrounding Layla’s career.

How Layla and Clayton Met

Layla grew up in Gilbert, Arizona. She relocated to Utah as a teenager after converting to the LDS church at 16. She met Clayton just one week after arriving — a fast start that set the tone for everything that followed.

The two dated on and off for about a year, a stretch Layla has described as one where she often felt like she was chasing commitment rather than receiving it.

Then she got pregnant at 19. Two weeks later, they were engaged. A month after that, they were married — the entire arc happening in under six weeks.

The Wedding Day She Won’t Forget

Layla has been candid about how she felt on her wedding day, admitting she was anxious well before any pregnancy nerves kicked in. She’s said she knew, deep down, that marrying wasn’t the right call — but in that moment, it felt like the only option.

That honesty is exactly what made fans connect with her so quickly once she joined the show. She never dressed the marriage up as something it wasn’t.

Why She Went Through with It

Layla joined the LDS church as a teenager because she wanted the structure and stability she felt was missing at home. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and she’s described her childhood household as chaotic.

She converted at 16, hoping it would help her build the traditional family life she never had. So when she found out she was pregnant, marrying Clayton lined up with the values she’d already adopted — even if the timeline wasn’t ideal.

The Divorce: Full Details

Layla and Clayton’s marriage lasted close to three years before it fell apart. Getting the divorce finalized, however, was a much longer process than the marriage’s collapse suggested it would be.

Filing and Finalisation Timeline

  1. January 5, 2024 — Layla first filed for divorce in Utah
  2. March 2024 — The court dismissed the initial case
  3. February 20, 2025 — Layla refiled for divorce
  4. May 28, 2025 — Divorce judgment officially entered

In total, the process stretched more than 16 months from the first filing to the final judgment.

What the Divorce Judgment Said

Court documents filed in Utah laid out detailed terms for the split. Here’s what both sides agreed to:

TermDetails
CustodyJoint legal and physical custody — both parents share equal time
Child SupportClayton pays Layla $832 per month
AlimonyNeither party awarded alimony
Bank AccountsEach kept their own accounts
VehicleClayton awarded a 2022 Hyundai Elantra
Drug/Alcohol ClauseNeither parent allowed to consume alcohol or illegal drugs when children are present
Communication RuleNeither party allowed to disparage the other in texts, emails, or in front of the children
Extracurricular CostsSplit equally between both parents

The sobriety clause stands out. Both Layla and Clayton are legally restricted from drinking or using non-prescribed drugs while their sons are in their care — a detail that doesn’t typically show up in a Utah custody order without specific concerns being raised during proceedings.

Why the Marriage Was “Toxic”

Layla has used that exact word — “toxic” — more than once when describing the marriage. She’s called the three years she spent with Clayton an extremely difficult chapter of her life.

A few things that have come up in her public comments:

  • Emotional disconnect and trust issues during the marriage
  • Jealousy directed her way once she started dating again post-separation
  • The sobriety clause built into the official custody order
  • Restraining order activity during the legal proceedings

Court records from the divorce also listed Layla’s monthly income from social media work at around $5,000 — a figure that has likely climbed since Seasons 3 and 4 aired.

Layla’s Sons: Ollie and Max

The boys are, by Layla’s own account, the center of her world — that’s been clear since her first season on the show.

Both were born during the marriage:

  • Oliver “Ollie” Clay Wessel — born 2021 (age 4 in 2026)
  • Maxwell “Max” Dean Wessel — born 2022 (age 3–4 in 2026)

Layla and Clayton agreed early on not to put their sons on camera. That boundary has held across all four seasons — a rare move in reality TV, where kids are often part of the storyline. Both parents are entitled to attend and volunteer at school events under the terms of the custody order.

Layla’s Relationship History After Divorce

Layla took some time before getting back into dating after her split from Clayton. Once she did, her love life quickly became one of the show’s most-watched storylines.

Mason McWhorter: The Most Recent Relationship

Layla first hinted at a new relationship in July 2025 through a now-deleted Instagram post. The man in the photo was Mason McWhorter — younger brother of Chase McWhorter, who was previously married to Layla’s co-star Miranda McWhorter.

By November 2025, Layla was speaking happily about the relationship, calling Mason her best friend.

Then, on February 7, 2026, she posted an emotional TikTok confirming the breakup, saying things just weren’t working out and that she and Mason seemed to be on different paths. She also acknowledged how big a part of her and her boys’ lives Mason had become over the previous year.

A few days later, Layla followed up with a second post walking back her initial “no bad blood” comment — suggesting there was more to the split than she’d first let on.

Brief Connection with Chase McWhorter

Before Mason, Layla had also gone on a handful of dates with his brother, Chase McWhorter — Miranda’s ex — roughly two years earlier. She’s been clear that it never developed into anything serious, describing it as barely qualifying as a relationship at all.

Layla Taylor on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives

Layla joined the show in Season 1 as the group’s only recently divorced cast member. She was in her early twenties at the time of filming, making her one of the youngest members of MomTok by a clear margin.

Here’s how her storyline has evolved across four seasons:

SeasonStatusKey Storyline
Season 1 (2024)Recently divorcedNavigating single motherhood and the LDS church
Season 2 (2024–2025)SingleDating life, leaving the church
Season 3 (2025)Dating MasonRelationship exploration, mental health openness
Season 4 (2026)Post-Mason splitBreakup aftermath, personal growth, executive producer role

By Season 4, Layla had been promoted to executive producer of the show — a notable career milestone for someone still in her mid-twenties.

Layla Taylor’s Faith Journey

Layla wasn’t raised Mormon. She chose the church at 16, looking for the stable family structure she felt she’d missed growing up. She’s said she initially kept her conversion secret from her parents, sneaking out to attend services.

She has since confirmed that she’s left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Even so, she still allows her sons to attend church with their dad on Sundays. Her approach to their religious upbringing comes down to a few things:

  • She encourages them to explore different beliefs and decide for themselves
  • She doesn’t want them to feel pressured in any particular direction
  • She actively teaches them that they have agency over what they believe

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Layla Taylor’s husband?

Layla Taylor’s ex-husband is Clayton Wessel. They married in 2020 and finalized their divorce on May 28, 2025.

Why did Layla Taylor and Clayton Wessel divorce?

Layla has publicly described the marriage as “extremely toxic,” pointing to jealousy, emotional strain, and incompatibility after a rushed courtship.

Does Layla Taylor have children?

Yes. She shares two sons with Clayton — Oliver “Ollie” (born 2021) and Maxwell “Max” (born 2022) — under a joint custody arrangement.

Who is Layla Taylor dating in 2026?

Layla is currently single after confirming her split from boyfriend Mason McWhorter on February 7, 2026.

How much child support does Layla Taylor receive?

Per the May 28, 2025 court judgment, Clayton pays Layla $832 per month in child support.

Conclusion

Layla Taylor married young, walked away from a marriage she’s openly called toxic, and has spent the years since raising two sons largely on her own while building a national platform around telling the truth about all of it.

Her ex-husband, Clayton Wessel, remains a private figure who co-parents their boys away from the spotlight. At just 25, Layla is already an executive producer on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — and it’s clear her most interesting chapter is still being written.

Leave a Comment