Brad Womack’s ex-girlfriend Laurel Kaygay claims he proposed just before taping began on ‘The Bachelor’

It’s that point in the season for The Bachelor when a former girlfriend surfaces with all sorts of stories to tell about the handsome man smooching 20 women at once on our television screens every Monday night. Last year we had starcasm fave Tanya Douglas from the panhandle of Florida who was left waiting in the wings for Jake Pavelka, having no idea he was even on the show!

This season we have Laurel Kaygay, a name familiar to fans of ABC’s reality romance competitions because she also dated The Bachelorette contestant Wes Hayden – a relationship that caused all sorts of fallout when it was revealed towards the end of Jillian’s season.

Before, and apparently after she dated Wes, Laurel dated current Bachelor Brad Womack. The Austin, Texas spa owner tells Us Weekly in this week’s cover story that Brad proposed to her numerous times during their on-again, off-again 8-year relationship including just weeks prior to taping the current season of the show!

Laurel met Brad at a bar in 2002 and they went on their first date a year later. She goes on at length in the article about Brad’s unstableness and how he would constantly get upset about something minor, blow up and then apologize a couple days later. The reasons for the blow ups included Laurel’s friends, her not calling enough and moments of jealousy, including a vacation trip to Hawaii during which Brad picked a fight after accusing Laurel of looking at another man.

Brad surprised Laurel in 2007 by announcing he was going to be on The Bachelor, but after dumping finalists DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft on the finale, Womack sent a bouquet of flowers to Lauren with a card that read, “Laurel, We’re getting married one day. I love you, Brad.” He began texting and the two started talking again.

Kagay was dating Hayden at the time, but when they split up she gave Brad another chance. His lack of commitment to therapy was the final straw for Laurel who broke things off in November of 2007.

But, she says Bad continually asked for her hand in marriage, a claim backed up by text messages allegedly from him. In one of the messages, dated July 16 of last year, Brad simply wrote, “Will u marry me?” Shortly after that message Brad talked with Laurel’s dad about how to win her back before phoning and asking for a meeting with Laurel and her mother.

Laurel agreed to the meeting, which took place on July 28. According to accounts by both Laurel and her mother, Brad talked at length about his affection for Laurel in a speech she says sounded rehearsed. “He poured his heart out, saying everything he’s worked for has been for me, he doesn’t want to be with anyone else, he wants to have babies with me and start a future. He said, ‘I will marry you right now,'” Laurel tells Us.

Laurel didn’t respond immediately and Brad left upset. He texted four days later stating, “You’re my future, Roo. Nothing is going to change that. Laurel, I’m serious about this. Please marry me?” (“Roo” is Brad’s affectionate nickname for Laurel.)

Before she responded he texted again about being asked to come back to The Bachelor:

Please don’t say a single word about this (especially to Wes). The executive producers from The Bachelor just called. They want me to do the show again. This season. Haven’t discussed $ but it’d be a lot….

Two weeks later he wrote:

I won’t kill u w texts but please be there for me roo. This isn’t a game, this isn’t a control issue, it’s just me getting my ass kicked. Please babe; please just let me know you’re there… Please say hi. Rough day Laurel.

I wish you’d just marry me. No matter haw crazy we are, we’re meant. Marry me.

Roo?

Brad continued to try to communicate with Laurel while taping the current season of The Bachelor, sending her a “Happy Birthday” email.

Of course the claims are being denied by Brad and The Bachelor host Chris Harrison, who issued a biting statement to Us saying Laurel “is a fame whore doing everything in her power to cling to Brad’s coattails.”

Brad Womack confesses that he and Laurel Kagay were a couple but that the rest is a lie. “It’s sad that someone would drum up something that’s completely false,” he told Us in January.

Laurel is the owner of Peach Body Boutique, a spa in Austin Texas. Here’s a video with Laurel getting sucked on while demonstrating something called decompresson massage. (At least I think that’s her.)

For more details about Laurel Kayag and Brad Womack’s relationship with lots of photos and text messages be sure to pick up this week’s copy of Us Weekly, on newsstands now!