Taylor Frankie Paul Dealt New Custody Battle Blow as She Reportedly Fails Multiple Drug Tests
Taylor Frankie Paul is facing another major development in her ongoing custody disputes after reports emerged that she allegedly failed multiple court-ordered drug tests over a roughly 60-day period.
According to reporting from TMZ and Page Six, the reported test results have led to a significant reduction in Paul’s parenting time with her three children. The allegations come amid separate but overlapping custody disputes involving her ex-husband, Tate Paul, and her former partner, Dakota Mortensen. (TMZ)
The situation is particularly sensitive because the underlying custody proceedings are subject to a gag order. That means many details circulating publicly have not been independently released by the court, and the specific substances allegedly detected in the tests have not been publicly identified.
As a result, it is important to distinguish between what has been reported by media outlets and what has been officially established in court.
Parenting time reportedly reduced
The most significant reported consequence is a sharp reduction in Paul’s parenting schedule.
TMZ reported that sources familiar with the case said Paul allegedly failed multiple court-ordered drug tests during the previous 60 days. The outlet reported that the resulting arrangement limits her to approximately eight hours of parenting time per week—four hours with the two children she shares with Tate Paul and four hours with her youngest child, whom she shares with Mortensen. (TMZ)
Page Six similarly reported that Paul’s parenting time had been reduced following the reported test failures. The publication said the specific substances involved remain unclear, although sources indicated that at least one substance allegedly detected was not ordinarily available as a prescription medication. (Page Six)
Those details have understandably generated considerable attention because custody cases involving allegations of substance use can have immediate consequences for visitation arrangements.
However, the reports currently available do not publicly identify exactly what substances were allegedly detected, nor do they provide the complete laboratory results.
That distinction matters.
A report that someone allegedly failed a drug test is not the same thing as a publicly released laboratory report establishing exactly what was consumed, when it was consumed, or why a particular test produced a particular result.
The testing began earlier this summer
The latest development follows a court decision earlier in 2026 requiring Paul to undergo drug and alcohol testing as part of her custody dispute with Tate.
TMZ reported in July that a Utah judge ordered Paul to submit to drug and alcohol testing. Under the arrangement reported at the time, clean results would allow her to have unsupervised parenting time, while a positive result for an unprescribed drug or alcohol could result in supervised parenting. (TMZ)
The testing requirement came after Tate sought changes to their existing custody arrangement.
In August, TMZ reported that Tate had asked the court to unseal Paul’s drug-test results. The tests were reportedly being kept under a protective order, meaning they were not simply available for public inspection. (TMZ)
People also reported last month that Tate had sought access to the results in the custody dispute. According to that report, the testing included a 15-panel hair or nail test and a PEth test designed to detect alcohol exposure. At that point, Paul’s visitation with her two children with Tate remained subject to restrictions while the testing issue was being addressed. (People.com)
The newest reports therefore represent a continuation of a dispute that has been developing for months rather than an isolated incident.
Three children are involved in the broader disputes
Paul’s custody situation involves three children.
She shares two children, Indy and Ocean, with former husband Tate Paul. She also shares her youngest child, Ever, with Dakota Mortensen.
The arrangements involving the children have developed separately, although the disputes have overlapped in the public spotlight.
Earlier this summer, reports indicated that Paul and Tate were dealing with questions about unsupervised visitation and drug and alcohol testing. Separately, Paul and Mortensen have been involved in their own custody proceedings concerning Ever.
People reported in July that a Utah judge expanded Paul’s parenting time with Ever during a custody hearing. The judge also addressed a separate issue involving transportation of the child during a custody exchange. (People.com)
The latest reports suggest that the subsequent drug-testing developments have once again altered the amount of time Paul is permitted to spend with her children.
Why the allegations are significant
Custody courts generally focus on the safety and welfare of children when determining parenting arrangements.
That can include consideration of substance use, allegations of domestic violence, compliance with court orders, and other circumstances that may affect a child’s well-being.
In Paul’s case, the reported testing requirements were specifically connected to whether she could exercise unsupervised parenting time.
The July court order reported by TMZ made the connection particularly clear: testing was intended to determine whether Paul could regain or maintain unsupervised access to her children. (TMZ)
Consequently, reports of multiple failed tests have potentially serious implications for the custody proceedings.
Still, it would be premature to assume that the latest reported restriction represents a permanent custody decision.
Custody arrangements can change as cases progress, particularly when courts receive new evidence, additional testing, treatment records, or other information.
Paul’s side disputes the way information has emerged
Another important element of the story is the disagreement over information being made public.
Because of the reported gag order, the parties involved in the case are restricted from publicly discussing many details.
TMZ reported that sources close to Paul characterized information being leaked to the media as part of what they described as ongoing harassment and intimidation. (TMZ)
That perspective is important context because the current claims are largely based on reports from sources familiar with the proceedings rather than a complete public release of the underlying court records and laboratory reports.
In other words, readers are currently seeing one side of a confidential legal process through media reporting.
That does not establish that the reports are false, but it does mean that the public record available through news coverage is incomplete.
A custody fight that has already attracted intense attention
Paul’s personal life has been under unusually intense public scrutiny because of her status as a reality television personality.
She became widely known through social media before becoming one of the central figures in Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Her personal relationships and family disputes have subsequently become part of the broader public conversation surrounding the series.
Her legal troubles also affected her television career.
Paul had been selected to lead ABC’s The Bachelorette, but the season was ultimately canceled following controversy surrounding her relationship with Mortensen and a domestic incident investigation. Recent reporting has also focused on whether Paul will continue appearing in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. (Marie Claire)
That combination of reality television fame and ongoing family litigation has meant that developments that might ordinarily remain private have attracted enormous public attention.
The allegations should not be confused with a final court finding
Perhaps the most important point surrounding the newest reports is that the phrase “failed multiple drug tests” should currently be understood as a reported allegation rather than as a complete public judicial finding.
TMZ attributed its information to sources familiar with the case. Page Six similarly described the developments as reported information. Neither outlet has publicly identified all of the underlying test results. (TMZ)
The exact substances reportedly involved have not been disclosed publicly.
There is also no indication from the reports that the court has issued a final determination terminating Paul’s parental rights.
Instead, the reported consequence is a reduction in parenting time while the custody disputes continue.
That distinction is crucial.
Losing or having parenting time reduced temporarily is not the same legal outcome as losing custody permanently.
What happens next?
The next stage of the case could depend on additional testing, future court hearings and whatever evidence the parties present to the judge.
If the court’s restrictions are based on drug-testing results, future testing could become particularly important. Depending on the court’s orders, subsequent results could potentially influence whether visitation restrictions remain in place, change, or are expanded.
The parties may also continue fighting over whether existing evidence should remain confidential.
For now, however, the publicly reported information leaves several important questions unanswered.
What substances were allegedly detected?
Were all of the tests conducted under identical conditions?
What explanation, if any, has Paul provided regarding the results?
And how long will the current parenting-time restrictions remain in effect?
Those questions cannot be answered reliably without additional court records or statements from the parties involved.
A developing custody story
Taylor Frankie Paul’s latest custody setback represents another chapter in a complicated and highly publicized family dispute.
Reports say her parenting time has now been reduced to approximately eight hours per week following alleged failures on multiple court-ordered drug tests. (TMZ)
But the case remains ongoing, and many of its most important details remain confidential because of the reported gag order.
For Paul, the immediate issue is not simply the headlines surrounding the alleged test results. It is whether she can satisfy the court’s requirements and demonstrate whatever the court requires for expanded parenting time in the future.
For her children, the continuing custody proceedings mean that their living and visitation arrangements may remain subject to further court decisions.
And for the public, the story is a reminder that media reports about ongoing family-court proceedings often provide only part of the picture.
Until the underlying records become public or the court issues further rulings, the reported drug-test failures should remain understood in that context: serious allegations with reported consequences, but not a substitute for the complete judicial record.
As the custody battles involving Taylor Frankie Paul, Tate Paul and Dakota Mortensen continue, further court action could provide a clearer picture of what led to the latest restrictions and what conditions, if any, could allow Paul’s parenting time to change again.
