Jessi Draper Defends 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Costar Taylor Frankie Paul Amid Domestic Violence Allegations: 'I Don't Want to Judge'

Jessi Draper is standing by Taylor Frankie Paul amid her recent domestic violence allegations.

The 33-year-old admitted she has known for a long time about the recent video that dropped of her Secret Lives of Mormon Wives costar hurling chairs at ex Dakota Mortenson with her 8-year-old child, Indy, present.

“Obviously, back in 2023, we knew what happened and we knew there was a video, but we never saw it. The police had it, and they talked about it, and we all just were like, ‘Okay, I don't like to judge someone in their darkest moment, you know? I don't wanna judge the person, I’ll judge the mistake,’” she explained on the Wednesday, March 25, episode of “Call Her Daddy.”

Paul was arrested at the time and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. Although initial charges of child abuse and domestic violence in front of her kid were dismissed, she was placed on a three-year probation that concludes this August.

“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,” Draper continued. “Seeing that video is so hard because it's just, there's so much pain underneath the surface for Taylor, and I tell her this all the time, that it's not who Taylor is. She got caught in a really bad cycle.”

Draper was particularly upset by the fact that Paul’s daughter was involved in the situation and allegedly got hit by one of the chairs her mother threw.

“The child being involved is awful…but Taylor's such a good person, and she's made some mistakes, and so has Dakota,” she explained. “And 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. I think when you watch it, we're characters, we're not real people, but this is our real lives.”

The reality star admitted she’s seen Paul at her “darkest moments” and held her as she cried.

“I've been there for her. I know what goes on behind the scenes, and I just want this to be maybe a wake up call for them, and let's get them healthy and happy and move forward,” she expressed. “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.”

Paul shares Indy and Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Tate Paul, as well as Ever, 2, with Mortenson.

The mom-of-three came under fire when the video of her and Mortenson feuding got released on Thursday, March 19. Upon screening the leaked footage, her ex filed a restraining order against her and won temporary custody of their 2-year-old. Additionally, ABC rapidly pulled the 31-year-old’s upcoming season of The Bachelorette.

A rep for Disney Entertainment Television said: “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.”