Doug Mason from Taylor Frankie Paul‘s now-cancelled season The Bachelorette breaking his silence.
“Because of everything that’s happened, I’m sending prayers to Taylor because that was her time and her time was blocked,” Doug, 28, said in an Instagram video on Friday, March 20. “All we can do right now is hope, and I’m going to run to watch the sunrise.”
He concluded by saying: “I hope you have a good day, and let’s always be positive and show nothing but support for people in need.”
Doug was one of over 20 potential contestants for Taylor’s heart in season 22 The Bachelorette – and he was an early fan favorite. Before the season premiered on Sunday, March 22, news broke that Taylor, 31, and her newlywed boyfriend. Dakota Mortensenthey were involved in an alleged domestic violence dispute in February. The controversy that allegedly led to Hulu’s season 5 Secret Lives of Mormon Wives temporary placement.
“There’s a lot of context to everything, and it’s unfortunate,” Taylor said exclusively Us Weekly on Tuesday, March 17. “It was difficult.
The mother of three – who shares sons Ever, 2, with Dakota, 33, and daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with ex-husband Father Paul – he denied that this incident had anything to do with him as a parent.
“And the mother that I am, that’s something that I will always be strong in. I believe that I am a good mother and I have always treated my children well,” explained Taylor. “So the headlines right now are very hard to see because that’s not true.
Dakota later broke his silence on this alleged dispute.
“His No. 1 priority here is to protect Ever,” Dakota’s attorney said Entertainment Weekly. “He knew it might happen, but he wouldn’t be the one to do it because he always wanted a good relationship with Taylor. It was really hard to achieve that, but he wants to get along well.”
The statement continued: “He was hoping that if he didn’t say anything like he usually does, it would pass. He’s never had any kind of sit-down conversation about his side. He just lets everything happen to him, and I think he realizes with the difficulty of everything now that he can’t do that.”
Season 22 of The Bachelorette it was eventually canceled when the 2023 incident between Taylor and Dakota came to light. In the video, Taylor is seen throwing chairs at Dakota while her daughter cries in the background. (This is the same scene explored in season 1 of Mormon wives.)
A spokesperson for Disney Entertainment Television told us on Thursday, March 19, “Due to the newly released video that surfaced today, we have made the decision not to move forward with a new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and are focusing on supporting the family.”
