The Mormon Wives Cast Responds To Taylor & Dakota's Leaked 2023 Video

Rumors about Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen’s rocky relationship have been dominating the headlines since March 15. At the time, TMZ reported that filming for The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5 had been put on hold after a heated argument between the exes (who share one son, Ever). Since the initial report, allegations about a domestic dispute have been reported.

On March 16, a spokesperson for the local police department told People that there was an open "domestic assault investigation" concerning Paul and Mortensen, involving allegations from both parties. Per the police spokesperson, the alleged incident occurred on Feb. 24 and 25.

The following day, on March 17, Mortensen filed a restraining order against Paul — claiming that she choked and hit him — and requested sole custody of their son. At the time, Paul told Us Weekly, “There’s more to the context to everything and it’s unfortunate.”

Then, on March 19, a video from Paul and Mortensen’s 2023 domestic violence incident (to which she pled guilty to felony aggravated assault) was leaked to TMZ, prompting ABC to cancel her season of The Bachelorette. “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family,” the statement read, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Following the video’s release, Paul's rep told Entertainment Weekly in a March 19 statement:

It's sad to see the latest installment of his never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child. Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son's birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior. Thankfully, the public has seen this act before and knows who he is and sadly, many will recognize this pattern of manipulation, both in his actions on the show, and from their own experiences.

Now, Paul’s fellow Mormon Wives cast members are speaking out on the situation.

Jessi Draper

Jessi Draper appeared on Call Her Daddy on March 25 to discuss her divorce and all of the developments surrounding Paul. According to Draper, the MomTok knew the video existed, but didn’t watch it.

“I don't like to judge someone in their darkest moment. I don't wanna judge the person, I’ll judge the mistake. And Taylor really has made a lot of changes, and that's what's so hard for me. This is my real friend, and she does have a really good heart, and I love her so much.”

“Seeing that video is like so hard because there's so much pain underneath the surface for Taylor. I tell her this all the time — it's not who Taylor is. She got caught in a really bad cycle. And just seeing that video — and yes, the child being involved is awful ... but Taylor's such a good person. She's made some mistakes, and so has Dakota.”

“I've seen Taylor at her darkest moments, holding her crying. I've been there for her,” she says. “I want this to be a wake-up call for them. Let's get them healthy and happy, [so they can] move forward. “I believe people can come back from things like this. I just want the kids to be safe and happy and healthy. That's all I really want for them right now.”

Miranda McWhorter

On March 20, McWhorter responded to the situation in an Instagram statement. “I’ve honestly been a little at a loss for words trying to process this all. Everything has been really heavy to see,” she wrote. “As a human, and especially a mother, I cannot support that kind of behavior.”

“My heart is with the children in this and I hope they’re safe, supported, and surrounded by love,” she added.

After some backlash (and one Instagram Reel theorizing that MomTok might have leaked the 2023 video), McWhorter clarified her stance on Instagram. “haha the first time i saw that video was the same day you all did. none of us girls have ever been in possession of it or any other evidence,” she wrote in the comments section. “my intent with my statement was not to shade taylor, but to simply address that I do not support nor condone that behavior from either party. taylor and i have been in a good place and she has apologized for both the shinia and chase stuff! i have my theories on who leaked the video, but i can promise you it wasn’t any of the women.”

Layla Taylor

Layla Taylor also posted a statement to her stories about the leaked video on March 20. “My personal history as a survivor makes it impossible for me to stay silent,” she wrote. “I stand firmly against domestic violence in any form. I am keeping her children in my thoughts, hoping for their safety above all else.”