Just one day after a new video surfaced showing their co-star Taylor Frankie Paul assaulting her ex-boyfriend in front of her kid three years ago, two stars of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" on Hulu's streaming service have spoken out against domestic abuse.
In a post on Friday on her Instagram account, Miranda McWhorter expressed her strong stance against domestic violence and abuse. “As a human, and especially a mother, I cannot support that kind of behavior. The kids involved in this situation have my deepest sympathies; I pray they are secure, loved, and supported.
McWhorter stated that she has been struggling to articulate her feelings about this situation, and added that witnessing it all has been quite overwhelming. She doesn't specifically identify Paul in her statement, but it follows claims of domestic violence between Paul and Dakota Mortensen, her ex-boyfriend, that surfaced a week ago.
Mortensen was arrested in 2023 for an incident that TMZ claims she videotaped. In the video, Paul is seen shoving and kicking Mortensen as she continuously pleads him to stop.
There is footage of Paul throwing three barstools at Mortensen, but it doesn't show what happened before the video started. The sound of her daughter's sobs follows the tossing of the stool; she had been sitting on the sofa close by during the altercation. Neither TMZ nor NBC News have checked the authenticity of the footage.
A representative for Disney confirmed the news shortly after the video went live that ABC has canceled Sunday's debut of "The Bachelorette" featuring Taylor.
Actress Layla Taylor said in an Instagram story that she couldn't remain silent due to her personal experience of survival. "No matter the form, I will not tolerate domestic violence."
Even though Paul was not named in Taylor's account, she did say that she is thinking about the "children, hoping for their safety above all else."
Paul and Mortensen were also reportedly involved in a separate domestic violence incident earlier this week, which caused a delay in filming the fifth season of "Mormon Wives."
According to NBC News' reporting, the Utah police department in West Jordan acknowledged receiving a domestic abuse accusation against Paul on Wednesday. However, the department chose not to provide details about the complaint or any possible charges.
"Allegations have been made in both directions," according to the Utah Draper Police Department, which earlier this week informed People magazine of an ongoing "domestic assault investigation" between Paul and Mortensen. Quote: "Contact was made with involved parties on [Feb] 24th and 25th."
Footage of the brawl between Taylor and Frankie Paul surfaces
Paul faced charges related to the event in 2023, including assault, criminal mischief, and domestic violence when a child was present. Paul entered a guilty plea with the intention of avoiding further prosecution on an aggravated assault charge in August 2025, according to court documents, and the remaining four counts were dismissed with prejudice.
Even though ABC had already cancelled her "Bachelorette" season when the video went viral, Paul assured NBC News over the phone that she would "have my truth" in an interview.
The tape is the "latest installment of [Mortensen's] never-ending, desperate, attention-seeking, destructive campaign to harm Taylor without any regard for the consequences for their child," according to a Paul representative who spoke with NBC News on Thursday, following TMZ's publishing of the footage.
"Releasing an old video, which conveniently omits context, on their son's birthday is a reprehensible attempt to distract from his own behavior," the representative continued. "At least the general public is familiar with his manipulative behavior; unfortunately, many will see it in his on-screen antics and in their lives."
Mortensen did not immediately respond to multiple requests for comment about the video. Through his lawyer, he took legal action against Paul on Friday, establishing that Mortensen is the legal guardian of their kid.
"Mormon Wives" cast members expressed reservations about the show's future with Paul as a producer, according to NBC News' reporting that the cast met with ABC officials earlier this month.
In audio of the roughly 30-minute Zoom meeting on March 7 obtained by NBC News, the stars voiced concerns over the future of their careers, the show’s brand and the allegations surrounding Paul and Mortensen. Furthermore, they brought up allegations of abuse with Paul, who is a father of three (including a kid she shares with Mortensen).
“It’s a dangerous situation, it’s a sad situation, and we don’t know how to navigate it, because Taylor is our friend,” one cast member said to ABC brass at the virtual meeting.
“This is not me putting my head in the sand, but it’s not me — you know, I don’t want to inquire, because I don’t know what that does,” Mills later said.
Pilar Melendez has covered national news, justice, and crime for NBC News Digital as a breaking news editor for the past ten years.