A Full Breakdown of Taylor Frankie Paul & Doug Mason’s Messy ‘Bachelorette’ Split
Honestly, fans of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives had no idea what to expect heading into Season 5. The past few seasons have been chaotic, with drama ranging from the Fruity Pebbles scandal and Dancing With the Stars drama to an affair that even crossed over with Vanderpump Villa. But what happened to Taylor Frankie Paul between Seasons 4 and 5 stopped feeling like reality TV drama and became something much more serious.
Taylor had been cast as the new lead of The Bachelorette, but just days before her season was set to premiere, ABC scrapped it following a domestic violence scandal involving her and her ex, Dakota Mortensen. Her season has never aired and, at this point, likely never will.
Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives addresses the controversy, but most of the season actually takes place immediately after Taylor filmed The Bachelorette and in the weeks leading up to its cancellation. As a result, viewers learn exactly how her season ended — and, more importantly, who she got engaged to.
Yep, it’s official: Taylor Frankie Paul got engaged on The Bachelorette. Here’s a full rundown of what Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives revealed.(Warning: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 5 spoilers ahead!)
Who did Taylor Frankie Paul get engaged to on The Bachelorette?
Viewers actually learn quite a bit about Taylor’s unaired season of The Bachelorette, not just from her, but from the rest of MomTok. As it turns out, Jessi Ngatikaura, Mikayla Matthews, and Mayci Neeley all appeared on the season, visiting the set in December and meeting Taylor’s final three men.
At the start of Season 5, the women speculate about who Taylor ultimately chose, revealing the names of her final three contestants: Shane Parton, Lew Evans, and Doug Mason. They’re especially vocal about hoping she didn’t pick Doug, believing he reminds them too much of Dakota and represents an unhealthy pattern for Taylor. He even has the same initials and is also from Idaho. Well, it’s no surprise who she chose!
When Taylor finally returns to the series, she confirms that she accepted Doug’s proposal and left The Bachelorette engaged.
Doug is a 28-year-old lifeguard-turned-model and rapper from San Diego who performs under the stage name TonedBone.
While the rest of MomTok worries he’s more interested in the spotlight than a relationship, Taylor insists their connection is genuine. She says she originally planned to leave the show simply dating Doug, but when he proposed during the finale, she said yes.
Why did Taylor Frankie Paul and Doug Mason split after The Bachelorette?
Upon returning to Utah, Taylor and Dakota quickly fall back into old habits, hooking up again despite MomTok’s disapproval. At the time, Taylor is still engaged to Doug, while Dakota is dating Emma Shippen. At first, Taylor gives no indication that she’s planning to call off her engagement.
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Things begin to shift when she turns down Happy Couples, a secret getaway designed for her and her new fiancé while they remain out of the public eye. Taylor admits it doesn’t feel right, but that alone isn’t enough to end the engagement.
Soon after, Doug asks for a few days of no communication. When he reaches back out, he seems optimistic that the space has helped. Taylor, however, isn’t on the same page, and neither is Miranda McWhorter, who she’s with at the time.
Instead, Taylor reveals she’s been thinking about Ben Lambert, who reached out after she returned home to ask whether she actually got married on The Bachelorette. This is Ben, the musician she met through TikTok and briefly dated during Season 4. Let’s just say Taylor has a lot going on.
Taylor says she ultimately ends her engagement to Doug, although viewers never actually see the breakup happen. In fact, Doug doesn’t appear at all in Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. According to Taylor, realizing she still had feelings for Ben made it clear her heart wasn’t in the engagement.
But the relationship drama doesn’t stop there.
Who is Taylor Frankie Paul dating now?
Despite ending her engagement to Doug, Taylor still has to keep a low profile when it comes to dating because of her Bachelorette contract. So, naturally, she invites Ben to New York City, where he secretly stays in her penthouse while she’s filming with MomTok. The crew is there for Whitney Leavitt‘s first night on Broadway! Ben and Taylor cannot be spotted together.
The pair appears to have an easy, fun connection, enjoying everything from bagels in bed to bubble baths together. But Taylor’s secret doesn’t stay hidden for long. When Mayci and Mikayla suspect she’s keeping something from them, they storm her hotel room and meet Ben for themselves.
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The women immediately notice that Ben seems to be looking for something serious. He repeatedly says he’s “dating to marry,” leading them to worry that Taylor isn’t in the same place emotionally. Taylor eventually comes to the same conclusion. When the trip ends, she breaks things off with Ben, much to his surprise. She tells him she can’t give him what he’s looking for right now and, given the restrictions of her Bachelorette contract, she can’t publicly pursue a relationship anyway.
Once Taylor returns to Utah, it becomes clear she’s still deeply entangled with Dakota. Based on what he later tells DadTok, the two are seemingly still hooking up despite their breakup. Following an emotional confrontation in the season finale, Taylor vows to finally cut ties with him for good. Soon after, the legal situation comes to light, which she reveals to the other women during a phone call.
Since those events unfolded in March, there’s been little insight into Taylor’s love life. Season 5 doesn’t include any more recent footage, so her current relationship status remains a mystery.
Dakota is now supposedly in a relationship with Shinia Powell, who was previously friends with MomTok and is mentioned during the season.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Season 5, Streaming Now, Hulu
