Layla Taylor is the youngest member of the MomTok group and a main cast member on Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Born March 12, 2001, she is 25 years old as of October 2026. A divorced mother of two young sons, Taylor joined MomTok at the personal invitation of Taylor Frankie Paul and quickly became a fan favorite for her honesty about single motherhood, her former marriage, and her complicated relationship with the Mormon church. In June 2026, she came out as bisexual on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, and in October 2026 she made her red carpet debut with her girlfriend, Colorado barber Kelsie Chesser, at the Virtual Reali-Tea Awards in New York City.
Early Life
Layla Taylor was born on March 12, 2001, in Gilbert, Arizona, though some online databases list Mesa as her birthplace and March 21 as her birthdate. She is biracial. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and she has described growing up with what she called a “messy home life.”
Drawn to the Mormon church’s emphasis on family, Taylor began sneaking away from home to attend services as a teenager and was eventually baptized. She had been accepted to the University of California, Irvine, but decided instead to move to Utah, where she lived near the Brigham Young University campus. To support herself, she worked as a nanny while training to become a dental assistant.
Her path to marriage was fast. She met her future husband, Clayton Wessel, on a Mormon dating app within a week of joining it. After about a year of on-and-off dating, she became pregnant, and the two married a month later. Thirteen months after the birth of their first son, she gave birth to a second. The marriage did not last. Taylor has described the relationship as toxic.
Rise to Fame: From Nanny to MomTok
After her divorce, Taylor was a young single mother of two with little money and few options. She has spoken openly about the hardest parts of that period, including skipping meals so her children could eat and being unable to work because she could not afford daycare.
She started posting on TikTok, at first to just a few thousand followers. Then Taylor Frankie Paul invited her to join MomTok, the group of Mormon moms making videos together in Utah. Taylor accepted, and the invitation changed her life. When Hulu developed The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives around the group, Taylor was cast as a main member. She is the youngest person in the main cast and the only person of color among the show’s central women.
On the show, Taylor’s storylines have centered on adjusting to single motherhood, re-entering the dating world, and questioning her place in the church. She threw a divorce party to mark her fresh start, a moment that became one of her signature scenes. She has also used her platform to discuss subjects that are uncomfortable inside the Mormon community, including her dating life.
Her advocacy extends beyond the show. Taylor has spoken in interviews about the need for better support systems for young single mothers, drawing directly on her own experience of going without food so her children could eat.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives
Taylor has appeared in every season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives since its September 2024 premiere. Hulu’s cast guide lists her as a main cast member, divorced from Clayton Wessel with two children. Fan databases have cited around 449,000 TikTok followers.
Her role on the show grew as the seasons progressed. She has talked about grappling with the racial history of the Mormon church in interviews around the show. She has described herself as liberal, a notable stance inside
the MomTok world. She has also spoken about navigating hair and beauty standards as a biracial woman.
Personal Life: Divorce, Dating, and Motherhood
Taylor shares two sons, Oliver and Max, with her ex-husband Clayton Wessel. She married Wessel as a teenager and had both boys by age 21, before the relationship broke down.
After her divorce, Taylor dated within the extended MomTok circle. Her relationship with Mason McWhorter, the brother of castmate Miranda McWhorter’s ex-husband Chase McWhorter, ended publicly in February 2026, before season 5 aired.
Then came the news that reshaped her public story. On June 29, 2026, Taylor appeared on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast and came out as bisexual. “I’m gay and I’m bi and date women and men,” she said. She
explained that she had always known how she felt but had struggled for a long time to share it publicly.
New Relationship: Kelsie Chesser
Shortly after coming out, Taylor began soft-launching a new relationship online. In July 2026, she posted a video showing only a mystery woman’s hand, and fans quickly speculated about the woman’s identity. That same month, Colorado-based barber Kelsie Chesser posted a TikTok about sliding into her girlfriend’s DMs, writing, “When I slid into my girlfriend’s DMs just hoping she was into girls,” set to a Beyonce sound clip. Taylor commented “Folded” on the video, all but confirming the relationship.
On October 6, 2026, Taylor and Chesser made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Page Six Virtual Reali-Tea Awards in New York City. Taylor wore an asymmetrical floral corset dress with a pleated skirt and light blue strappy heels, while Chesser wore a navy blue suit with black shoes and a simple gold necklace. On the carpet, Taylor revealed that Chesser had slid into her DMs on TikTok, and Chesser confirmed she had already met Taylor’s children.
Chesser owns the Main Barber shop in Golden, Colorado. She has over 40,000 TikTok followers, per People.
The relationship has won support from Taylor’s circle. Costar Miranda McWhorter said she had never seen Taylor happier. “I’ve been friends with Layla through a handful of relationships of hers now, and I’ve never seen her more herself, more happy and glowing than she is with Kelsie,” Hope said. Taylor has said that her sons have already met Chesser and that, as they get older, “they’re getting to the age now that they do understand.”
Content and Public Image
Taylor’s content stands apart from the polished dance videos that made MomTok famous. Her signature format is the “day in the life” video: mornings with her boys, errands, work, and honest talk about money, dating, and exhaustion. Her sons appear regularly in her posts.
She has been unusually open about topics her castmates avoid, including her dating life and the financial realities of single motherhood. In interviews, she has credited MomTok with saving her. “I wouldn’t have survived, honestly, if it wasn’t for MomTok,” she said. “It was just a way for moms to have fun and have an outlet outside of motherhood. Because I feel like when you do become a mom, you lose yourself a little bit.”
Her candor about race has also set her apart. As the only person of color in the show’s main cast, Taylor has spoken about navigating beauty standards, finding hairstylists who understand her hair, and confronting the Mormon church’s racial history.
2024 to 2026: Recent Developments
Taylor’s last two years have been defined by growth in public. She went from the youngest, quietest member of the MomTok cast to one of its most talked-about stars. Her coming out in June 2026 drew widespread support from fellow cast members and from fans, and her red carpet debut with Chesser in October 2026 marked her arrival as a public figure on her own terms.
Her TikTok following sits around 450,000, a fraction of her famous castmates’ audiences but a loyal one, built on day-in-the-life videos, honest talk about single motherhood, and a willingness to discuss the subjects other influencers avoid.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Born | March 12, 2001, Gilbert, Arizona |
| Age (Oct 2026) | 25 |
| Children | Two sons, Oliver and Max |
| Ex-husband | Clayton Wessel |
| Current partner | Kelsie Chesser (dating since Feb 2026; public since Jul 2026) |
| TikTok followers | ~450,000 |
| Show | The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (main cast) |
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Layla Taylor?
Layla Taylor was born on March 12, 2001, in Gilbert, Arizona. She is 25 years old as of October 2026, making her the youngest main cast member of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Who is Layla Taylor dating?
As of October 2026, Layla Taylor is dating Kelsie Chesser, a barber and content creator based in Colorado who owns the Main Barber shop in Golden. The couple made their red carpet debut at the Virtual Reali-Tea Awards on October 6, 2026.
When did Layla Taylor come out as bisexual?
Taylor came out as bisexual on June 29, 2026, during an appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast. She said, “I’m gay and I’m bi and date women and men,” and later said she shared her story to help young people who are scared to come out.
How many kids does Layla Taylor have?
She has two sons, Oliver and Max, with her ex-husband Clayton Wessel. She married Wessel as a teenager and had both boys by age 21.
What did Layla Taylor do before TikTok fame?
After moving to Utah, Taylor worked as a nanny while training to become a dental assistant. She has said she struggled financially as a young single mother, at times skipping meals to feed her children, before Taylor Frankie Paul invited her to join MomTok.
Is Layla Taylor still Mormon?
Taylor has discussed grappling with the racial history of the Mormon church. She has described herself as liberal.
What is Layla Taylor’s TikTok?
Taylor posts under @laylaleannetaylor on TikTok, where she has around 450,000 followers. Her content focuses on day-in-the-life videos, single motherhood, and honest talk about dating, money, and life after divorce.
