Season 5 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives revealed the full timeline of Taylor Frankie Paul’s engagement to Doug Mason — including what led to their split before her season of The Bachelorette was canceled.
The new season, which was released on Hulu Thursday, September 10, showed Taylor, 31, shortly after she returned from filming The Bachelorette in Los Angeles, where she got engaged to Doug.
“He was the one that I liked from night one. There was instant chemistry,” Taylor gushed. “The entire time, I didn’t think we were going to ‘get engaged,’ per se, but then at the last minute, he did propose and I said yes.”
Despite the happy ending to her season, Taylor quickly began having doubts after hooking up with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen multiple times. She also explored her connection with ex Ben Lambert, which further complicated her relationship with Doug.
Season 5 documented the two months after Taylor’s search for love, which was scheduled to air on ABC in March but was pulled off the network’s lineup just days before the premiere. The decision was made amid a domestic violence investigation into an alleged incident involving Taylor and Dakota.
Dakota denied all allegations against him, and The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office ultimately decided to press charges. Taylor, however, has since been involved in two separate child custody battles with Dakota and her ex-husband, Tate Paul. (Taylor shares daughter Indy, 9, and son Ocean, 6, with Tate and son Ever, 2, with Dakota.)
Doug, meanwhile, showed his support for Taylor throughout the ordeal.
“In light of everything that has happened, I am just sending prayers to Taylor because that was her moment and her moment was blocked,” he said in an Instagram video in March. “All we can do right now is just be hopeful, and I am headed off to run to watch the sunrise.”
He concluded: “I hope you guys have a great day, and let’s stay positive and show nothing but support for people in need.”
Keep scrolling for the full timeline of Taylor and Doug’s relationship:
Post-Engagement Bliss
Days after returning from Los Angeles, Jessi Draper told the cameras that some of the Mormon Wives cast met the final three men vying for Taylor’s heart. While they liked Shaun and Lew, there were concerns about Doug.
“It just felt like he was hiding something or putting on a performance or a show,” Mikayla Matthews added. “He wasn’t being very authentic. He’s basically Dakota.”
Jessi and Mikayla both referred to Doug as “kinda strange” and “weird.” Mayci Neeley, meanwhile, questioned whether Doug was “there for the wrong reasons.”
In her own confessional, Taylor appeared hopeful about her potential future with Doug.
“My mom is not the biggest fan of Doug,” she noted. “I think Doug is … I don’t want to say her least favorite, but it was her least favorite out of the top three.”
Taylor had a conversation with her mother where she hinted that there was no rush to get married, adding, “I would definitely have a baby before I get married.”
Reconnecting With Dakota
Despite considering a long-term relationship with Doug, Taylor revealed that she was still interested in Dakota, saying, “The fact that I am engaged to Doug, that is where things get trickier, because I still have feelings [for Dakota]. … When you have an addiction, there’s not a lot that is more powerful than that drug.”
Taylor told the rest of the Mormon Wives cast that she did sleep with Doug and it was “good.” She didn’t think her hookups with Dakota counted as her “cheating” on Doug — and later admitted she was also “in love with someone else,” a.k.a her ex Ben.
Tension in Taylor’s Personal Life
Taylor and Dakota slept together three times before she pressed pause on their relationship. She did remain in contact with Ben but acknowledged that she would have to “wait until May” before she could take that romance public due to the secrecy surrounding the outcome of her season of The Bachelorette.
In a separate confessional, Mayci expressed concern about Taylor’s love life. She also claimed that Taylor never stopped speaking to Dakota — even while filming The Bachelorette.
“I was hearing rumblings that Taylor was calling Dakota [back then],” Mayci shared before revealing she texted Taylor’s show chaperone at the time to alert them to the reality star being in contact with her ex.
Calling It Off With Doug
“Doug and I are communicating, but not how I thought we would be, and then he wanted to take a break from talking for three days,” Taylor shared later in the season about how her relationship with Doug had taken a turn.
Taylor played a voicemail from Doug, in which he said, “Hey there. Just wanted to send this off to break the ice. I wanted to let you know it is only positive from this side. I am in your corner.”
After hearing what her friends and family thought of Doug, Taylor admitted she had her own issues with him. She questioned his intentions and wondered whether he was just using her to help progress his own music career.
Ultimately, Taylor chose not to reunite with Doug and “broke it off” instead.
Exploring a Connection With Ben
Taylor didn’t come clean to Doug about Dakota and Ben before reuniting with the latter on multiple occasions. Taylor and Ben explored the possibility of a relationship — and she even flew him out to New York City while on a cast trip — but they chose to part ways.
Drama With Dakota
The final episode of season 5 showed Taylor and Dakota struggling to remain in each other’s lives amid their complicated relationship. Taylor chose to officially shut down the possibility of them getting back together, which led to what she claimed was retaliatory behavior from Dakota.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives ultimately stopped filming season 5 amid Taylor and Dakota’s ongoing legal issues. The show has been renewed for season 6, but it remains to be seen whether Taylor (and Dakota) will continue to be involved.
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
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