Taylor Frankie Paul drops major ‘Bachelorette’ bombshell: ‘He came over...’
Taylor Frankie Paul has confirmed that she accepted a proposal while filming her unaired season of 'The Bachelorette.' The disclosure comes in a preview from 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Season 5. However, her engagement was only the beginning of the story she brought home from the dating show.
The clip, released during the September 3 episode of Hulu's 'Get Real' podcast, shows Paul discussing the season with Jessi Draper, Mikayla Matthews, and Mayci Neeley. When asked whether one of her suitors got down on one knee and proposed, Paul did not leave the group guessing. “Yes. Yes, I did [get engaged],” she revealed.
Paul then spoke about what happened when filming ended, and she returned home. She had resumed texting her ex, Dakota Mortensen, and their exchange soon moved beyond messages. “Then, I come home. Obviously, [me and ex Dakota Mortensen] were texting. ‘When are you going to be home?’ I don’t know how it led to it, but he came over,” Paul said. Matthews responded, “Umm … I think I know how that happened.”
Paul never identified the man who proposed in the preview. However, her co-stars appeared to imply that the suitor was Doug Mason by raising two details he shares with Mortensen: the same initials and a connection to Idaho. “I didn’t start thinking that until people said it around me,” Paul said. Draper replied, “They have the same initials. They’re both from Idaho. It’s so weird.”
Mason's name was not spoken during the conversation, so his identity as the man who proposed has not been confirmed. The preview also does not establish whether Paul is still engaged or disclose her current relationship status. Her account concerns events that took place during and immediately after filming the ABC season.
Paul's season was scheduled to premiere on ABC in February, but the network pulled it from the lineup three days before its planned debut. At the time, a domestic violence investigation involving Paul and Mortensen was underway in Utah. The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office later decided not to file criminal charges in the case.
Paul subsequently promoted a fan petition asking ABC to air the season. Us Weekly reported that the petition had collected more than 25,000 signatures by the time its September 3 story was published. ABC has not announced plans to release the filmed episodes.
Production on 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' also paused in February. The cast later resumed filming without Paul in further group segments, though she reportedly recorded new footage for the opening credits. The Season 5 preview now brings part of the unaired story to Hulu. The full conversation will appear when 'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Season 5 premieres September 10 on Hulu. It may provide more context about Paul's unaired season, but the preview does not confirm where either relationship stands now.
