As more details about Taylor Frankie Paul’s domestic violence situation surface, fellow Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jessi Draper speaks out.
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During her appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Draper said she has been in contact with Paul since the leak of the video of the physical altercation she and ex-Dakota Mortensen had in 2023.
“Seeing that video is so hard,” Draper acknowledged. “It’s just—there’s so much pain underneath the surface for Taylor. And I tell her this all the time, it’s not who Taylor is.”
Draper further stated, “She got caught in a really bad cycle and just seeing that video—yes the child being involved is awful—and everyone involved, is really hard. But Taylor is such a good person, and she’s made some mistakes, and so has Dakota.”
She noted that she was not justifying Paul’s actions. “But I know Taylor as a person and it’s so easy to speculate about there people on a reality show like we’re characters,” she continued. “We’re not real people, but this is our real lives, and I’ve seen Taylor in her darkest moments, holding her crying…and I want this to maybe be a wake up call for them.”
In the video, Paul and Mortensen are seen in an altercation that escalates into excessive violence. Paul then sees throwing barstools at Mortensen and at one point, accidentally hits her then 5-year-old daughter, who had been sitting on a nearby couch.
The video surfaced days after it was revealed that Paul and Mortensen had gotten into multiple physical altercations last month. The duo is now being investigated by local law enforcement.
In response to the video, ABC canceled Paul’s season of The Bachelorette. The production of Mormon Wives’ fifth season has also halted.
Draper Shares How Paul Is Doing Amid the Situation
Meanwhile, Draper discussed how Paul has been doing amid the situation.
“I actually talked to her right before I came in here, and she seemed pretty positive today,” she shared. “And I think she knows that this is going to be a long and scary journey and the thing about Taylor is that she always tells the truth…I think she’s going to handle this in the best way possible. And I think she’s taking a beat to figure that out.”
Along with Draper, fellow Mormon Wives co-stars Layla Tayloor and Miranda Hope spoke out about the situation
“My personal history as a survivor makes it impossible for me to stay silent,” Layla wrote on her Instagram Stories. “I stand firmly against domestic violence in any form. I keep her children in my thoughts, hoping for their safety above all else.”
Hope also said, “Everything has been really tough to see. Domestic violence and abuse of any kind is something I take very seriously. As a human, and especially as a mother, I cannot support that kind of behavior.”