Watch: The Bachelorette’s Doug Mason Speaks Out After Taylor Frankie Paul Admitted to Cheating
Doug Mason may have gotten Taylor Frankie Paul’s final rose, but it was an unlikely ally who left a mark on his Bachelorette experience.
Indeed, Doug—who got engaged to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star at the end of their unaired season of the ABC show—revealed the behind-the-scenes advice Taylor’s ex-husband Tate Paul gave him about their budding romance.
“It was off-camera,” Doug told Bachelorette alums Charity Lawson and Rachel Recchia on the Oct. 13 episode of their Bachelor Happy Hour podcast. “That week was, probably without a doubt, the most exhausting week mentally for me in my entire life.”
“When I met Tate,” he continued, “he asked me the same question that you asked me, Charity: ‘You ready for this? ‘Cause it’s a lot. I live it every day. Being with Taylor will change your life.’”
After all, Tate—who shares two kids with Taylor—wanted to know how serious Doug was about pursuing his ex-wife. As Doug put it, “He really wanted to look in my eyes and see my sincerity.”
“At that point, I was all in,” the 28-year-old explained. “I was not going to BS. I’m not a BS-er. It was just as clear as day, this is going to be my life. So, it was draining to talk to him for sure.”
In fact, Doug left the conversating thinking to himself, “I need 10. I need 10 minutes.”
Though Taylor’s season of The Bachelorette never aired due to domestic violence allegations involving her and ex Dakota Mortensen—no charges were ever filed—she confirmed during the season five premiere of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives that she and Doug got engaged on the reality dating series.
Instagram/Doug Mason, Photo by John Fleenor/Disney via Getty Images
But it seems Taylor wasn’t ready to walk down the aisle just yet. In fact, the 32-year-old admitted to her SLOMW costars that she and her Dakota, with whom she also shares a young son, had slept together upon her return to Utah, while she was still engaged to Doug.
Plus, she told her friends in the same scene, “I’m in love with someone else,” referring to what would prove to be a short-lived relationship with aspiring singer Ben Lambert.
Following the bombshell confession, Doug shared that he’s focused on moving forward.
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity just to go on the show,” he said in a video shared to his Instagram Stories Sept. 28. “I met some brothers, and I learned a lot about myself. I have officially moved on and this is me saying that I am going that way. So, hope that everybody can understand that it was in my past, and now I’m focusing on my future.”
He signed off with, “So, take care. Thanks so much for listening.”
Keep reading for a closer look at the SLOMW stars’ love lives…
TikTok/@taylorfrankiepaul
Dakota Mortensen/Instagram
Tibrina Hobson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Disney/Fred Hayes
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Disney
Instagram/Mayci Neeley
Demi Engemann/Instagram
Mikayla Matthews/Instagram
Layla Taylor/Instagram
Miranda McWhorter/Instagram
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