Pastor John-Paul Miller Allegedly Took His Hospitalised Wife's Laptop and Leaked Her Nude Photos

A new Netflix docuseries alleges that pastor John-Paul Miller took his wife Mica Miller's laptop while she was involuntarily hospitalised and that nude photos of her were later posted online without her consent. The claims feature prominently in Death of the Pastor's Wife, a three-part documentary that premiered on 26 August and examines Mica's marriage, mental health and death in April 2024.

Mica, a former women's ministry leader at Solid Rock Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, died at Lumber River State Park at age 30. The medical examiner ruled her death a suicide caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

John-Paul has denied responsibility for her death. He has previously said he was out of town when she died and has pleaded not guilty to separate federal charges stemming from allegations about his treatment of Mica.

What Mica's Family Says Happened

Mica's siblings say she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder while engaged to John-Paul, who became involved in managing her care. The documentary alleges that he described some of her episodes as psychotic and claimed at times that she was suicidal.

Her family also says Mica was involuntarily hospitalised several times during their marriage. According to the documentary, she told police that John-Paul took her car, phone and laptop during one hospitalisation, with the laptop containing nude photographs.

John-Paul declined to comment to the documentary's producers. His attorney, Nathan S. Williams, also declined to comment to PEOPLE about the allegations.

The documentary's accounts are allegations from Mica's family and friends and have not been established as facts by a court.

What the Federal Indictment Alleges

The allegations involving the intimate images have gained additional attention because John-Paul is already facing federal charges related to his alleged conduct towards Mica.

According to the US Department of Justice, prosecutors allege that he cyberstalked Mica from November 2022 until April 2024, tracked her vehicle using surveillance devices, contacted her more than 50 times in one day and interfered with her finances and daily life.

The indictment also alleges that John-Paul anonymously posted a nude photograph of Mica online without her consent and later lied to investigators about damaging her car tyres.

John-Paul was arraigned in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, in January 2026. He has pleaded not guilty to cyberstalking and making false statements to federal investigators.

He has not been charged with causing Mica's death, and the federal indictment does not establish that he was responsible for her suicide.

His trial has been pushed to the October 2026 term following a court-ordered continuance filed in August.

Why Mica's Law Matters

The documentary also highlights Mica's family's campaign for legal changes in South Carolina.

Her relatives are supporting 'Mica's Law', which would make coercive control a criminal offence and expand the state's definition of domestic violence, according to Netflix's Tudum.

Mica's sister Anna Francis argues in the documentary that police were unable to intervene in some situations reported by Mica because of the limits of existing law.

'The police weren't able to do a single thing for Mica,' Francis says in the documentary. 'That's why "Mica's Law" is so important to us as a family.'

The proposed changes have become part of the wider debate surrounding Mica's case, particularly allegations that controlling behaviour can be difficult to address when it does not fit existing criminal offences.

What The Documentary Explores

Death of the Pastor's Wife, directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro, uses previously unseen footage, private journals and interviews with Mica's family and friends to examine her relationship with John-Paul.

The series does not establish a new finding about the circumstances of Mica's death. Instead, it presents her relatives' accounts of an allegedly controlling marriage alongside the events that preceded her suicide.

That distinction matters because three separate issues have become intertwined in public discussion: the official ruling on Mica's death, allegations made by her family and the federal criminal charges John-Paul is currently fighting.

What Happens at Trial

John-Paul's federal case remains unresolved. Prosecutors will have to prove the charges in court, while his defence will have an opportunity to challenge the allegations and evidence.

The criminal proceedings are separate from the documentary's broader examination of Mica's marriage and her family's campaign for legal reform.

For now, the allegations about the laptop and intimate photographs remain at the centre of renewed attention surrounding Mica's story. The federal indictment contains a separate allegation that John-Paul posted a nude image of her, but he has pleaded not guilty and no court has determined that he committed the alleged acts.