Layla Taylor, a star of the reality television series "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," has publicly shared that she is gay and bisexual and is currently in communication with a woman. Taylor, 25, made these revelations on an episode of Jay Shetty's "On Purpose" podcast released on Monday. She stated that she is dating women and men and is "talking to" a woman who initiated contact by liking one of her Instagram posts.
Taylor described the woman she is speaking with as emotionally aware and patient, noting her understanding has allowed Taylor to explore her identity at her own pace. "It is just still foreign to me and it is so new," Taylor said of her evolving understanding of her sexuality. She expressed a desire to "show every part of Layla to the world" and stated, "I'm very proud now to be out."
Taylor admitted that she had previously "underplayed" her sexuality for a long time, partly due to feeling like she already stood out as a Black girl in a predominantly white community. She recalled how the lack of queer representation while growing up made it difficult to understand her feelings, sometimes questioning whether they were just a phase. "I just didn't have people around me that modeled that," she explained.
She also noted that she had not come out to her "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" castmates before appearing on the podcast. Taylor indicated that she prefers to share such personal news in person and that her castmates might learn of her coming out through the podcast before she speaks with them directly.
Taylor was previously married to Clayton Wessell, with whom she shares two sons, Oliver and Maxwell. Their divorce was finalized in 2023. Since their separation, she had been linked to Cameron Jolly and Mason McWhorter, from whom she announced a breakup in February. The current season of "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" is in production, with a release date for the new season yet to be announced by Hulu.