Cory Wharton says he and his longtime girlfriend/baby mama Taylor Selfridge are finally on the same page about their relationship, thanks in part to their daughter Maya’s recent health crisis forcing them to have tough conversations.
Cory— who stars on Teen Mom as well as The Challenge— recently told People that Maya’s hospitalization in April gave him “a lot of perspective on what’s important,” particularly his sometimes-strained relationship with Taylor.
(As The Ashley previously reported, three-year-old Maya– who was born with a rare heart disease called tricuspid atresia– experienced a serious health scare last month that required her to be life-flighted and ultimately hospitalized for 18 days. Cory flew home early from Thailand— where he was filming ‘The Challenge’— to join Taylor at their daughter’s bedside.)
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“We had to take a step back from the public eye, and it was just great to finally get on the same page with her,” Cory said of Taylor (whom he also shares daughter Mila with). “We’ve been together for eight years, and to finally have those conversations that we were avoiding for so long, it’s nice to be on the same page. We both want this family to work.”
As fans who watched Teen Mom Family Reunion in 2024 will remember, Cory’s reluctance to propose was a major issue in the couple’s relationship. Taylor repeatedly told Cory during the season that she wants to marry him, and that she’s tired of making excuses to people as to why Cory refuses to propose to her.
At one point Taylor even told Cory that she feels embarrassed to go to the grocery store with a cart-full of kids and no engagement ring.
In May 2025, Cory went on a social media rant, confirming he and Taylor were “going through some s**t” but insisting it wasn’t because he had cheated on her. He also crashed out at fans who encouraged him to propose.
Cory and Taylor have heavily hinted on social media for months that had split up; however, neither officially confirmed the split. Cory revealed in September that he and Taylor were still living together and that they were “dealing with what we’re dealing with, outside of you guys.” By November 2025, he confirmed that they were officially together.
In his interview with People, Cory stated that it was Maya’s hospitalization that really cemented his and Taylor’s desire to be together.
“Having our daughter in the hospital, that’s when we came to realize how much we want to make this thing work,” he said. “It’s going to take a little bit of work, but we’re willing to put the time into each other.
“We have this beautiful family, and we want it to work. All the little stuff that people are stressing out about nowadays and worried about, we try to push that to the side and just be thankful that we’re breathing and we’re alive,” Cory continued. “Nobody can take that from you, and that’s an awesome power to feel.”
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Earlier this month, Cory answered some questions about his relationship with Taylor while on Snapchat. He told his followers that Maya’s health crisis was “almost a blessing in disguise” due to how it helped him and Taylor move forward in their relationship.
You know, I feel like when you go through trauma … it’s just the trauma bonding, it happens,” Cory said.
(While Cory was seemingly using the term “trauma bonding” to describe the closeness he and Taylor formed amid Maya’s health scare, the Cleveland Clinic defines “trauma bonding” as a “connection that can appear in abusive relationships,” in which an individual forms a strong attachment to someone who is causing them harm.)
In response to another fan who told Cory they were happy to see him and Taylor posting each other on social media again, Cory claimed that he and Taylor “had to get offline and figure our stuff out.” During that time, Cory said, both he and Taylor decided they wanted to make their relationship work.
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“ … [we figured out] that we both still love each other and we want to put time into each other and make this thing work,” he explained. “You know, anybody that’s in a long-term relationship– or just a relationship– and you have a family, kids, a house together, it’s a lot. It’s a lot of work, you know?
“This isn’t something you take lightly and so I think we both realized that we have to put time into each other and that’s what we’re doing now,” he continued. “And so, we’re on good terms, we’re happy, we’re great. Thank you guys for supporting us … I’m glad you guys are happy, I’m happy too.”
RELATED STORY: Cory Wharton Claims Paramount Has a “Game Plan” to Bring ‘Teen Mom’ Back for a Final Season: “We Need One More!”
(Photos: MTV; Instagram)
6 Responses
“We are now on the same page with our relationship”
Translation: I havent changed one thing, but taylor agreed to what I wanted yet again and i gave her no wiggle room, I used my daughter who was hospitalized as leverage to get what I wanted.
Sooo he wasn’t planning on making his family work before but now he is?
Okay.
Exactly, you know why, they are starting to film again, if he is not back with the family, he is out, they won’t hire him back. No easy paycheck for lazy ass Cory.
Does he know what’s important really? Highly doubtful. Taylor holds it down with their children while Corey goes on Challenge after Challenge and ultimately never making it far enough to be worth it.
To do that when you have a little girl who has had prolonged serious life threatening issues from birth just seems selfish to me. It also seems selfish to string Taylor along for this many years and never ask her to get married. He may not want it, she does therefore it won’t work in the long run.
“…we try to push that to the side and just be thankful that we’re breathing and we’re alive.” Who wants to bet that this comment will be Cory’s excuse for stringing Taylor along for another 8 years?
Right? Just be thankful we’re breathing and alive Taylor! Lol