Credit: Disney/Fred Hayes/ABC Press, Disney/Evan Mulling/ABC Press
Taylor Frankie Paul and Bachelorette contestant Doug Mason are reportedly “trying to make it work” again after their season was pulled. Around the same time, a judge turned down Taylor’s request to seal her legal dispute with ex Dakota Mortensen.
Last month, a 2023 video surfaced of the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star throwing stools at Dakota while her child was in the same room. ABC then pulled her season of The Bachelorette. Both Taylor and Dakota have accused each other of abuse, and a hearing has been set to address their respective protective orders.
According to a source speaking to Us Weekly, Taylor and Doug are now “seeing each other” again as they’re “trying to make it work.”
“They were hanging out recently and want to see if they can get back together and be a couple,” said the source.
Meanwhile, at an April 27 status conference, a judge turned down Taylor’s request to have the protective order hearing sealed (and keep the media out), according to TMZ. So now, her case will get the same treatment as any other.
During the conference, Taylor’s lawyer Eric Swinyard claimed the hearing scheduled on Thursday will be much more substantive than past hearings, as they’ll address serious claims made by both parties.
Eric said the case already has attracted “hundreds of thousands of viewers” on the internet, and public access could trigger consequences in the long term for their toddler son. The attorney said he’s concerned that the child’s classmates may one day confront him over the parents’ allegations.
Per the outlet, the lawyer seemed to suggest that Dakota perhaps played some role in the 2023 video’s release. Eric pointed out that the video dropped on the day her ex filed for the protective order. But Dakota’s legal team denied it.
Dakota’s attorney, Daniela Diaz, went against the request to have the dispute sealed. She argued that the case is public already, and she noted that Taylor’s team already presented evidence and allegations in open court.
Their son’s court-appointed representative didn’t declare a position on whether the case should be sealed, but he stated that he understood their worries about the future impact on the child.
But the judge, according to the outlet, said he must treat the case like any other of its kind, even if there’s a media spectacle.