The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Jessi Draper got emotional while discussing the drama surrounding her friend and costar Taylor Frankie Paul.
“I don’t like to judge someone in their darkest moment. I don’t want to judge the person, I’ll judge the mistake,” Jessi said during her “Call Her Daddy” podcast interview, released on Wednesday, March 25. “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.”
Jessi told podcast host Alex Cooper that she was aware there was a video of Taylor and ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen from 2023, but she had never seen it.
“Seeing that video is so hard, because there’s so much pain underneath the surface for Taylor,” Jessi said, getting choked up. “It’s not who Taylor is. She got caught in a really bad cycle.”
TMZ released footage earlier this month of Taylor seemingly getting physical with Dakota during the 2023 altercation, which was previously featured on season 1 of Mormon Wives. She appeared to throw a chair in the clip, and her daughter could be heard crying. Additional police bodycam footage from the same evening has since been released.
Us confirmed that Taylor pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault following the incident as part of a plea deal for the other charges to be dropped. The charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor if she abides by the deal’s terms for three years.
“Taylor’s such a good person, and she’s made some mistakes, and so has Dakota. I’m not saying any of it’s right, but I know Taylor as a person, and it’s so easy to speculate about these people on a reality show,” Jessi said during Wednesday’s podcast episode. “I think when you watch it, we’re characters, we’re not real people, but this is our real lives. I’ve seen Taylor in her darkest moments, holding her crying. I’ve been there for it, so I know what goes on behind the scenes.”
She added, “I want this to be, maybe, a wake-up call for them. Let’s get them help, healthy and happy and move forward. I believe people can come back from things like this, and I just want the kids to be safe and happy and healthy. That’s all I really want for them right now.”
Earlier this month, details of a separate alleged domestic dispute between her and Dakota came to light before the 2023 video was released. Us Weekly can confirm that Dakota has since been granted a temporary protective order against Taylor and was awarded temporary custody of their son, Ever, 2. (Taylor is also the mother to daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul.)
In the wake of the video, ABC decided to pull the plug on season 22 of The Bachelorette, in which Taylor was set to star. News broke on Wednesday there are claims of a third domestic violence incident between Taylor and Dakota.
Jessi offered Mormon Wives fans an update on Taylor during Wednesday’s podcast episode.
“I actually talked to her right before I came in here, and she seemed pretty positive today, and I think she knows that this is going to be a long and scary journey,” Jessi said. “The thing about Taylor, she always tells the truth. She’s known for that, and I think she’s going to handle this in the best way possible. I think she’s taking a beat to figure that out.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
