What Really Happened Between Layla & Mason? Inside the ‘Mormon Wives’ Split
When Season 4 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives aired in March 2026, viewers watched Layla Taylor‘s romance with Mason McWhorter unfold. By the time the season wrapped, however, the pair had already called it quits, with Layla admitting to People that “it’s been awful, to be frank, to watch back my relationship with Mason.”
Now, Season 5 is here, and while the season initially picks up with Layla and Mason still together, viewers ultimately get to watch their breakup play out in real time and see the immediate aftermath. We also learn more about what led to the relationship falling apart.
It’s just one of the many storylines unfolding throughout Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, but it’s one of the more emotional ones, especially because it sheds new light on a split that fans had previously only seen hints of on social media.
So, what really happened between Layla and Mason? Here’s everything we learned about their breakup in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5. (Warning: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5 spoilers ahead!)
When did Mason McWhorter and Layla Taylor date?
First, let’s get into the timeline, because things can get confusing on a show like The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, where we’re often watching events unfold several months after they actually happened.
Mason is a fitness influencer, the brother of Chase McWhorter — now a prominent member of DadTok — and the former brother-in-law of Miranda McWhorter. Miranda and Layla are particularly close friends, as we’ve seen throughout this season, which makes the breakup even more complicated.
Layla and Mason started dating in July 2025, and their relationship was featured throughout Season 4 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. We watched Mason join DadTok on a trip to London and spend time with Layla’s children, Ollie and Max. But their relationship wasn’t without its points of tension. Among them were Mason attempting to discipline Layla’s children and discovering Layla’s dependency on GLP-1 medications.
Disney / Fred Hayes
The pair ultimately broke up publicly in February 2026. Layla announced the split in a TikTok, explaining that they were on different paths and that Mason needed time on his own to grow. She initially said there was no bad blood between them, but later walked back those comments as more information came to light.
Now, Season 5 finally gives us a better look at what was really happening behind the scenes and what ultimately led to their breakup.
Why did Mason and Layla break up on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives?
Mason and Layla seem to be going strong when Season 5 begins. There’s one early moment of tension when Layla gets pulled into an argument between MomTok and Mason’s brother, Chase. She’s disappointed that Mason doesn’t defend her against the things his brother says, but otherwise, Layla appears to be doing well. She also tells Miranda that she’s in treatment for her eating disorder and is no longer using GLP-1 medications.
Mason even joins the MomTok trip to New York City to see Whitney Leavitt’s opening night on Broadway, and that’s where some cracks in their relationship begin to show.
While in New York, Layla tells her fellow moms that she is buying an expensive gift for Mason to celebrate his return to school. She’s considering a Breitling watch that costs several thousand dollars, which immediately concerns the other women, especially Mikayla Matthews.
It’s not the first time Layla has gone all out for Mason. She reveals that for his birthday, she bought him a Cartier ring, new suitcases, and expensive clothes. Layla connects her extreme generosity to her fear of abandonment, explaining that she sometimes feels like she’s trying to prevent people from leaving because she sees herself as “a burden in relationships.”
Although she calls Mason her “best friend,” she admits she’s starting to question how much she’s giving to the relationship.
Mikayla has her own concerns. She feels Mason’s relationship with Layla is a matter of “convenient timing” and points out that he seemingly doesn’t pay for their trips or meals. She brings those concerns up during a group dinner, and Mason becomes defensive.
Later, Layla tries to have a more private conversation with Mason about the situation. She tells him she’s “happy” and “hopeful” about their relationship, but she’s also realized that she tends to give too much to the people around her in an attempt to earn their love. She admits that their relationship can sometimes feel “unbalanced.”
Mason, however, feels that Layla pushes him away when she is struggling and believes the other women are creating a narrative about their relationship that doesn’t reflect reality.
The conversation ends with the two reaffirming their love for one another, making what happens next all the more surprising. Shortly after they return home from New York, Layla announces that they have broken up.
Layla explains that she noticed a “shift in him” after leaving New York and that he became “very cold” toward her on the trip home. She believes their conversation in New York “did play a role in [the] breakup.”
According to Layla, Mason began to feel like he was only “Layla’s boyfriend,” while Miranda suggests that he felt “emasculated” by the dynamic. Both Layla and Miranda ultimately believe Mason struggled with the fact that Layla was the breadwinner in their relationship.
What happened after Mason and Layla’s split?
As Layla prepares to arrive for a lunch with the girlies, Mayci Neeley, Jessi Ngatikaura, and Mikayla discuss the breakup among themselves. They seem to share similar concerns about Mason’s intentions, with Mikayla saying there were “a lot of red flags” in the relationship.
The women also claim Mason allegedly went on a date less than 24 hours after the split. Jessi says someone she went to high school with was at the restaurant and saw Mason there, while other TikTok accounts reportedly made similar claims and reached out to Layla about what they had seen.
Despite everything, Layla says she and Mason have remained in contact since the breakup. However, she makes it clear that she’s standing by her decision to end the relationship, comparing this to Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen‘s inability to do so.
The drama also continued on social media, with Layla and Mason seemingly referencing one another after the split. Mason even made headlines for his dramatic post-breakup haircut.
Since then, Layla has shared another major update about her love life: She has come out as bisexual and is now dating Kelsie Chesser. Our girlie is on to better things!
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Season 5, Streaming Now, Hulu
