Taylor Frankie Paul's Rumored Bachelorette Winner Speaks Out
"That was her moment, and her moment was blocked."
For the first time in Bachelor Nation history, a fully filmed season of The Bachelorette is being shelved. The abrupt cancelation was announced just three days before Season 22 was set to air, with ABC alluding to a recently released video of star Taylor Frankie Paul physically fighting her ex Dakota Mortensen in 2023 as the reason for pulling the season. That means, not only will Paul not get her moment in the spotlight, neither will the 22 men who competed for her heart. And those contestants have started to speak out on the situation, including the rumored winner of the season.
As hardcore Bachelor Nation devotees know, it’s not difficult to find spoilers for each season in advance. And for Season 22, eagle-eyed sleuths determined that Doug Mason, a 28-year-old lifeguard from San Diego, was going to be the eventual recipient of Paul’s final rose. You’d expect Mason to be pretty bummed that his shining moment was taken from him, but in his first Instagram post since the cancelation, he made Paul’s loss his main focus.
“In light of everything that's happened, I'm just sending out prayers to Taylor,” Mason said in an Instagram Stories video on March 20. “Because that was her moment, and her moment was blocked. So all we can do right now is just be hopeful ... Let's stay positive, and show nothing but support for people in need.”
A handful of other contestants also shared their mixed reactions to the shocking development. Clayton Johnson, who had already gained some pre-show buzz for being Lana Del Rey’s ex-fiancé, wrote: “I can honestly say this was one of the best groups of men I’ve ever been around. So much integrity, respect and heart across the board. Even the tough moments never took away from that. Any woman would be lucky to be with any of these guys. Real integrity. Real respect. Real men. Love you boys.”
Brad Ledford was more cryptic with his feelings, simply posting “…” on his Instagram Stories after the cancelation was announced.
And Richard Van De Water simply posted Ella Langley’s new song “Lovin’ Life Again,” about escaping into sweet memories when current pressures feel too heavy. “That’s all I gotta say,” he said as the song played.
