Podcast Episode
Death of the Pastor’s Wife: Mica Miller, JP Miller & the Red Flags Everyone Missed
About this episode
This week, Jessie and Kiki dive into Netflix’s Death of the Pastor’s Wife, the story of Mica Miller, her marriage to pastor John-Paul “JP” Miller, and the disturbing events leading up to her death.Mica entered JP’s world as a teenager, and over the years he became her pastor, mentor, employer, and eventually husband. We talk about the enormous power imbalance at the center of their relationship, allegations of controlling behavior and harassment, the role religion played in Mica’s identity, and why leaving may have felt far more complicated than simply walking away.We also get into JP’s uncomfortable sermons about sex and marriage, Mica’s bipolar diagnosis and how it was later used against her, faith-based therapy, shame, coercive control, and the question at the heart of the documentary:If someone doesn’t physically cause a death, can they still bear responsibility for helping push another person to the breaking point?In this episode:Netflix’s Death of the Pastor’s WifeMica Miller and JP MillerGrooming and power dynamicsReligion, marriage, and controlMental health and Mica’s bipolar diagnosisAllegations of stalking and harassmentWhy “just leave” is rarely that simpleAnd, somehow, Dolly Parton, TikTok’s “unalived” vocabulary, and our usual completely unnecessary side questsWhether you already followed the Mica Miller case or discovered it through Netflix, this episode is about much more than one marriage. It’s about what happens when faith, shame, control, and identity become so tangled together that freedom starts to feel impossible.And we’re not done — the conversation continues Friday on Behind the Pod.New episodes every Wednesday with Behind the Pod every Friday! The conversation doesn’t stop here! Head over to our website for show notes, bonus content, recommendations, and all the links from today’s episode. Then join our growing community on social media @TwoGirlsOneHaircut for even more laughs, hot takes, and behind-the-scenes chaos.