Mikayla Matthews and Jace Terry Split After 7-Year Marriage Crisis

Mikayla Matthews and Jace Terry Split After 7 Years of Marriage amid Intimacy Struggles

Mikayla Matthews and Jace Terry have revealed one of the most emotional storylines from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 4. After years of trying to work through serious intimacy issues in their marriage, the couple decided to separate, with Mikayla explaining that she needs time to focus on healing herself. The update has quickly become one of the biggest talking points around the new season because it is not framed as a messy celebrity breakup, but as a deeply personal situation shaped by trauma, chronic illness, postpartum recovery and the strain those struggles placed on their relationship.

Mikayla and Jace tied the knot on March 1, 2018, six months after welcoming their first baby. From the outside, they looked like a young family growing together through marriage, children and reality TV fame. But season 4 makes it clear that behind the scenes, they have been fighting a painful battle for a long time. Viewers first saw the couple openly discuss their intimacy challenges in season 3, and in the new season Mikayla admits there has not been much progress.

Why Mikayla Matthews and Jace Terry split

The core issue in their marriage centers on intimacy, but the reasons behind it are much deeper than a simple relationship rough patch. Mikayla has vulnerably shared that she was sexually abused by three different people from the time she was 6 to 15, and that trauma has continued to affect her marriage in major ways. In season 4, she explains that she is newly postpartum and also dealing with flare-ups of her chronic illness, leaving her physically and emotionally drained.

In one confessional, Mikayla says it is incredible to watch others get opportunities and live their dreams, but her health has held her back from saying yes to many things. She says that frustration does not just affect her career and confidence, but also holds her back in her marriage with Jace. That becomes a major theme in the season. She feels like her health has to be her top priority, and because she is already struggling so much, she does not have the motivation to tackle intimacy issues at the same time.

Whitney Leavitt, trauma support and the therapy struggle

One of the most revealing moments comes when Mikayla opens up to Whitney Leavitt while in Los Angeles receiving stem cell treatment. Whitney joins her to show support after the two repaired their friendship, and Mikayla says that inviting Whitney meant a lot because health treatments make her feel vulnerable. Mikayla also explains that Whitney understands her situation in a unique way because Whitney’s husband, Conner, has also shared that he was sexually assaulted as a child. According to Mikayla, Whitney and Jace are in a similar position as spouses trying to deal with the lasting impact of that trauma inside a marriage.

When Whitney asks how things are going with Jace, Mikayla says he is great, but “it’s always the therapy stuff.” She reveals that she did one or two therapy sessions with him, but she does not feel able to work on that issue right now. Mikayla says she has to make her health her main focus because it is hard to fix anything else while she is in such an overwhelmed state.

What Jace Terry said about the marriage

Jace also opens up during conversations with the DadTok group, and his comments show how lonely the situation has become for him. When asked how he is dealing with the lack of progress, Jace says he is not okay with it. Still, he adds that Mikayla is not saying it will never happen, only that if intimacy happens right now, it would not be for her and she would not enjoy it. Jace makes it clear he does not want that kind of experience either. He says throwing fits and getting upset will not help anything, so the only thing he feels he can do is stay patient and be there for her.

At the same time, Jace admits there is a breaking point. He says that if they were to separate, he would expect Mikayla to make time to work on these issues, and if after that she still did not want to take it seriously, then that would be the end of the road. Later, in a conversation with Conner, Jace says that more than the actual sex, what he really wants is to feel connected to his wife again and to feel loved in his heart. That line captures why this storyline is connecting so strongly with viewers. For Jace, the issue is not presented as purely physical. It is emotional, intimate and deeply isolating.

Mikayla’s frustration after couples therapy

Mikayla also confides in Mayci about how helpless she feels. After one couples therapy session, she says she left feeling angry and so overwhelmed that she almost responded with, “Okay, fine, go have sex with someone else. Like, leave me alone almost.” It is one of the rawest moments in the storyline because it shows just how much pressure she feels from the issue. Mikayla says she is trying to work on so many different things outside of sex, while also understanding that Jace cannot simply pretend that intimacy does not matter forever. Both of them, she says, reach a point where they feel helpless.

In another emotional admission, Mikayla says she is obviously very attracted to Jace and wants to be married to him, but it makes her sad that she is not able to meet his needs. She adds that kissing is actually harder for her than sex because kissing feels more intimate and tends to trigger her more. That detail adds important context to the depth of her trauma and why the healing process has been so difficult.

Why the couple decided to separate

Later in season 4, Mikayla shares in a confessional that she and Jace agreed to separate. As she packs her things, Jace asks what she is hoping to gain from it, and Mikayla explains that she wants the chance to work on herself separately from her responsibilities as a wife. Jace pushes back, saying he is frustrated that she will not commit to trauma therapy in a way that would continue addressing the intimacy issues between them.

Mikayla responds that anytime he brings up sex and intimacy, it becomes hard for her because her nervous system is already stuck in fight-or-flight mode. She says she is maxed out and her bucket is full. Jace counters that the solution seems to be committing to trauma therapy until she reaches a point where the issue no longer sends her nervous system into panic. Mikayla, however, says she has already done a lot of therapy and her trauma responses are still severe. She stresses that she does not intend for the separation to be permanent and says they will still see each other every day because she is not trying to spend even one day away from the kids.

Is this the end for Mikayla Matthews and Jace Terry?

The separation does not appear to be a final divorce decision, but it does show how serious the strain has become. Jace tells Mikayla that for the separation to feel effective for him, maybe they should not get back together until she feels ready to commit to their relationship. That deeply upsets her because she says pressure is exactly what she struggles with most. In a confessional, Mikayla admits that she is scared to lose him. She also tells Jace she believes it is better for their kids if they work it out.

Jace agrees that he wants their children to see their parents having both a good emotional connection and a good intimate connection. By the end of the storyline, Mikayla says only Mayci and Jacob in their circle know about the separation. She adds that even though it is heartbreaking, she takes comfort in knowing she has a strong support system in MomTok. She says she does not want to tear their family apart, but she also knows she has to be selfish for a period of time so that she can heal.

That is what makes this story more than a standard reality TV breakup headline. It is a painful portrait of how childhood trauma, chronic illness, postpartum struggles and emotional pressure can all collide inside a marriage. Mikayla Matthews and Jace Terry may still love each other, but season 4 shows just how hard it can be to preserve a relationship when one person is trying to survive in healing mode and the other is desperate to feel close again. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season 4 is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, while broader coverage of the split has also drawn major attention from People.