Miranda Hope is speaking out against Taylor Frankie Paul after a disturbing video of her attacking ex-girlfriend Dakota Mortensen in front of their daughter was leaked on Thursday.
“Honestly, I’m a little speechless trying to process all of this,” the “Secret Life of a Mormon Wife” star wrote on her Instagram Story on Friday. “The whole thing really weighed on me. I take domestic violence and abuse of any kind very seriously.”
Hope added that as a person and a mother, she “cannot support this behavior.”
“My heart is with the children and I hope they are safe, supported and surrounded by love,” she concluded.
Hope and Paul’s friendship has been on the rocks since 2022, when Paul publicly revealed that she, ex-husband Tate Paul, Hope, and ex-husband Chase McWhirter were involved in a “soft swing.”
Paul also claimed that McWhirter admitted that he had feelings for her, even though he was married to Hope at the time.
Hope and McWhirter divorced in 2024 after seven years of marriage. The ex-girlfriend, who is not yet legally divorced, has two children.
However, Hope joined the show in season 2 and mended things with Paul.
Fellow “SLOMW” star Leila Taylor also spoke out on Friday, writing on her Instagram Story, “Given my personal history as a survivor, it is impossible for me to remain silent. I am adamantly opposed to domestic violence in any form. I have her children in mind and above all I want them to be safe.”
Hope and Taylor’s comments come on the heels of Page Six confirming on Thursday that ABC has canceled Season 22 of the show after footage of a domestic violence incident between Paul and ex-girlfriend Dakota Mortensen was leaked.
“In light of the new video that was just released today, we have made the decision not to move forward with a new season of ‘The Bachelorette’ at this time. Our focus is on supporting our family,” the network told the outlet in a statement.
Disturbing footage released in 2023 showed Paul throwing a chair at Mortensen and attempting to put him in a headlock. The incident occurred while the TikToker’s daughter, Indi, 5 years old at the time, was in the room.
The Hulu star was arrested at the time and charged with misdemeanor assault, criminal mischief, and domestic violence in the presence of a child.
All charges were dropped and the two settled the same year. Paul and Mortensen then announced that they were ending their marriage for good in 2024, after welcoming their son Ever, one year old.
Paul’s representatives said in a statement Thursday that the video was “conveniently taken out of context” and that it was Mortensen’s “endless, desperate, attention-seeking and destructive campaign to harm Taylor with no regard for the impact on the child.”
Mortensen, for his part, denied her claims, saying, “I am focused on my son and his safety, and I hope that Mr. Taylor will do the same.”
In the season 4 finale of SLOMW, it was revealed that Mortensen and Paul were dating the night before he left to film The Bachelorette.
“It’s so great that Taylor is as self-aware as I am, but it’s also difficult because we’re like, ‘You know what you have to do. Come on!'” Hope added that she wanted to “shake” Paul and tell him to “wake up” without making him feel “shame.”
“We’re getting to the point where it’s exhausting and it’s exhausting you,” she admitted. “We all know how to resolve this situation. There’s one route and we don’t choose it. It’s exhausting. It’s hard as a friend to know there’s nothing you can do.”
Meanwhile, People confirmed on Monday that filming for Mormon Wives has been postponed because Paul is under investigation for a separate domestic violence incident with Mortensen that took place last month.
“There’s something pretty serious going on with Taylor’s (Frankie Paul) past and they’ll see what happens. They’ll take a break until that’s resolved,” a source told the outlet.
A spokesperson for the Draper Police Department also told PEOPLE that “communications with those involved occurred on the 24th and 25th (of February)” in the case, noting that the charges were “a two-way street.”
