The Bachelorette star Taylor Frankie Paul's ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen has teased he's in a serious relationship with someone new.

ADVERTISEMENT

Dakota, who is one of Taylor's two "baby daddies," revealed on "The Rub Down" podcast on YouTube that there is currently someone special in his life.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)

When asked if the rumors are true that he has a new girlfriend, Dakota replied, "I would say I'm pretty exclusive -- just, maybe, without the label right now."

Dakota revealed, "I am just dating one person and I think it's been really good, actually."

Dakota said he's been seeing this mystery woman "off and on for a few months" now.

"But we really just started getting serious, I would say, in the last month," Dakota shared.

Dakota suggested that the woman, whom he never identified, has been a breath of fresh air in life, especially since he had some dating challenges.

Dakota admitted that getting back into the dating scene after having a very public relationship -- and welcoming a son, Ever True, who turns 2 in March 2026 -- with Taylor was difficult.

"To get back into the dating space was really weird because I kind of knew... that maybe it would be, like, intense, but I didn't know how weird it would be," Dakota explained.

Dakota said he'd have to begin dates with an "embarrassing" warning of some kind.

"I would have to tell girls... 'Hey, I just want to let you know. We can do two options: we can do something more in private or I can take you out somewhere -- which I'm more than happy to do -- but you just have to understand people could video us and it could be posted and it could have a lot of views and people talk sh-t about you or something,'" Dakota said.

And Dakota confirmed these women weren't public figures who would be used to the attention, nor did they have large social-media followings.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)

"One time, I took a girl to this pop-dung little park, and I got coffee. We sat on a little bench and were drinking coffee. Nobody was in this park," Dakota began.

"Bro! I am randomly scrolling on TikTok and someone filmed our ass on this f-cking bench! And I was like, 'There is now way! How weird is that?!'"

Dakota admitted the hardest part of dating is always wondering, "Does it get better?!"

"I'm always waiting. Eventually does anything get better or is this always how it's going to go for me?" he questioned.

Dakota noted "it's hard to be optimistic sometimes" when The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu -- which stars Taylor and the Mormon wives in her community -- "is going on four seasons" now.

"It's like, 'Please! Please, just give me a chance!'" Dakota quipped.

Dakota acknowledged that he doesn't want to repeat any of his past relationship mistakes and it's actually helpful that The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives fans hold him accountable for his actions.

(While Dakota didn't point out his specific mistakes, he allegedly sexted Taylor's family friend. Taylor also accused a former friend of sleeping with Dakota in late October.)

"It just makes you see things in a different lens, because you're starting to see the relationship from so many different people's opinions, and so it kind of allows you to see different views," Dakota explained.

"Some people [will criticize me] and they've been pretty spot on. Very few people ever get it, where I feel like, 'Okay, that's an accurate take,' but I think that's been really good."

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)  

Dakota continued, "It's also helped me because the biggest thing about mistakes is that you're supposed to learn from your mistakes, right? I made a video about this just the other day. If I keep doing the same sh-t over and over again, nothing changes."

Dakota said "it's been cool" because he's been "testing this out" in his new romance.

"There's been multiple things that have happened where I was put in that same spot... and it's like, 'How much do I owe her in conversating or being open about things?'" Dakota said.

"I think a lot of things that have happened in my past have helped me make the right decisions, I feel like, in this case or moving forward."

In terms of where he stands now with Taylor, he claimed they're doing "better, actually."

Taylor welcomed her youngest son, Ever, with Dakota in March 2024. She's also mom to daughter Indy, 8, and son Ocean, 5, with her ex-husband Tate Paul.

Taylor was married to Tate from 2016 to 2022.

Taylor previously admitted to violating the rules of the couple's soft-swinging arrangement by becoming more intimate with another man in their friend group, which led to their separation and eventual May 2022 divorce.

The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which premiered in 2023 on Hulu, featured Taylor's cheating scandal.

The show also documented Taylor's first post-divorce relationship with Dakota, which Taylor had publicly confirmed in July 2022.

Despite coming out of two failed relationships in the public eye, Taylor said -- before filming began -- that she was open to getting engaged on The Bachelorette.

The Bachelorette's 22nd season is set to premiere on Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.

The Bachelorette's official cast of bachelors for Season 22 will be announced at a later date.

Also during his "Rub Down" interview, Dakota revealed if he crashed Taylor's The Bachelorette season, which already wrapped filming.

RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)

Interested in more The Bachelor news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group!


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON GOOGLE NEWS