Taylor Frankie Paul publicly slammed her The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives co-star Mikayla Matthew in a lengthy Instagram rant on Sunday, calling Mikayla a "snake" and blasting her for kicking Taylor while she is already down.
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"It's Mother's Day so I'll say whatever I want. As if it's not already the worst time," Taylor wrote in the caption of a photo showing her and her three young children.
"I have STILL have 'friends' kicking me while I'm already down and calling it 'setting a boundary' and then BLAMES ME for being upset and responding. That's called shaming and attack while I had a moment to breathe and she knew that."
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"Not once have a called myself a 'victim' but I'm HUMAN and have breaking points. What a snake friend just did to me in the public eye after everything she just witnessed... the lack of empathy and silence was loud enough. Did you see the hearing? Did you see the bruises? Yet she's bringing up 'picking sides'?" Taylor continued.
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"Yes usually you do for friends you know go through that. Have you been hurt while pregnant? Have you been beaten right after giving birth? Have you lost two babies due to who knows what? Have you gone to jail for finally breaking and taking the only blame for years? Have you been in trouble for getting ready to feel pretty two months postpartum that you cry off your make up and return to an ugly tee shirt?"
"Can you even understand what I'm saying just from just a psychological point? No clearly not... if it's being used as an analogy to rash cream."
Taylor was responding to a Saturday statement Mikayla had posted on her Instagram Stories addressing her frustration with online comments that she wasn't being sufficiently supportive of Taylor amid her ongoing legal and custody dispute with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, which also include competing claims of domestic violence and a 2023 incident that resulted in Taylor's arrest and subsequent guilty plea deal agreement.
"I have felt absolutely sick to my stomach and horrible for what everyone involved must be feeling and going through," Mikayla wrote while also noting that she had previously "tried to stay as removed" from the matter.
"However, it is not my job to enable poor or dangerous behavior from either party, especially when children are involved. That doesn't mean I don't love them or want the best for their individual futures. It just means I cannot sit here and pretend it's OK that years of destructive behavior are now being discussed more than ever online and turned into a 'pick a side' game."
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"I was there after [Taylor's] swinging rock bottom, I was there after the [2023] arrest rock bottom," added Mikayla, who also added the only "correct side" to be on was that of Taylor's three children, which include a 2-year-old with Dakota.
"Without even having to be asked, I sent cookies, drinks, meals, etc, and showed up even at my own personal lowest while navigating my own trauma, betrayal and health issues."
"Every single time, the behaviors and patterns continued and were publicly praised for being 'messy' and 'relatable.' Continuing to show up and give sympathy to someone who has mentioned time and time again that they can't be a friend right now, while also acknowledging they are self-aware of the decisions being made and still expecting loyalty online... would not only be a disservice to my healing, but to the other people involved as well. You cannot save someone who is unwilling to participate in their own rescue."
Therefore, Mikayla explained, she began setting "healthy" boundaries in her friendship with Taylor but that doesn't make her a "bad or jealous" friend, nor does "having a moral compass and boundaries."
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Taylor then initially fired back at Mikayla's statement in the comments section of a fan's recap of Matthews' message.
"She is the epitome of someone that was waiting for my downfall and not only watched it, but clearly kicking me too, Taylor wrote. "I rarely, if ever, cried to her for help."
"[The rest of Mormon Wives cast] always wanted an update on my life, let's not get that twisted. She is "exhausted of me" as I tried to stay home and suffer in silence... I'm fed up, but I knew she was going through her own [health] stuff, and I didn't want to make it worse. Clearly she can't do the same. PS: she can find her way to the door if she doesn't want to film with me. Next."
Mikayla had then posted a comment stating she had never been "praying for Taylor's downfall.
Taylor and Dakota are fresh off a May 1 court hearing in Utah during which they were both issued orders of protection. The pair are legally required to stay 100 feet away from each other for three years to hopefully break their toxic dating and abuse pattern.
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Dakota filed for a protective order against Taylor on March 19, which was the same day ABC had announced its decision to pull The Bachelorette's 22nd season.
A spokesperson for Taylor said Taylor was "grateful" for ABC's support as she prioritized her children's "safety and security."
The spokesperson added that Taylor allegedly silently suffered extensive mental and physical abuse for years.
Taylor filed her own request for a protective order on April 7, alleging a "pattern of abusive conduct and coercive control" during her on-again, off-again relationship with Dakota.
During an April 7 court hearing, a judge granted Dakota temporary custody of the son he shares with Taylor. Taylor was only given up to eight hours per week of supervised visitation with Ever True, 2.
On April 8, Taylor was granted her own temporary restraining order against Dakota.
On April 14, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office announced that Taylor won't face charges from her domestic assault dispute with Dakota, People reported.
Prosecutors explained that some of the alleged incidents occurred more than two years ago and therefore fall outside the statute of limitations.
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Prosecutors added that other allegations either did not "rise to the level of criminal offenses" or lacked specificity and "sufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges."
While officials confirmed that the investigations will not impact the MomTok creator's probation status stemming from her 2023 arrest and indictment, Taylor was placed on a 36-month probation period, which is scheduled to end on August 24, 2026.
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Click here to read all the spoilers for Taylor Frankie Paul's The Bachelorette season, including details about her winner and how her journey ended.
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