Taylor Frankie Paul's Court-Ordered Drug Tests Lead to Reduced Child Visitation
The reality star's visitation time with her three children has been significantly curtailed after reportedly failing court-ordered drug tests.
Taylor Frankie Paul, known for her role in "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," is reportedly facing reduced visitation with her three children after allegedly failing drug tests ordered by a Utah court. Sources close to the case told TMZ that Paul, 32, failed multiple drug tests over the past two months.
Paul is the mother of nine-year-old daughter Indy and six-year-old son Ocean with ex-husband Tate Paul, and two-year-old son Ever with ex-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen, 33. As a result of the recent developments, Paul's time with her children has reportedly been reduced to a total of eight hours per week, with four hours allocated for Indy and Ocean, and four hours for Ever.
The specifics of the substances detected in the drug tests remain unclear, though sources described one as "not commonly available as a prescription" medication.
Representatives for Paul stated that "juvenile court proceedings are strictly confidential, and a court-ordered gag order remains in effect." They added that the public disclosure of alleged information from these proceedings is "another example of the continuing harassment and inappropriate conduct from the other side."
Earlier this year, Paul had been granted weekday and every other weekend unsupervised visits in her custody battle with Mortensen, who has primary custody of Ever. In a separate legal matter, Tate Paul had petitioned the court for sole legal and physical custody of his two children with Taylor Frankie Paul, citing a 2023 incident where she was reportedly seen attacking Mortensen with their minor daughter present.
Following the public release of a video of the 2023 incident, ABC abruptly canceled Paul's season of "The Bachelorette" shortly before its scheduled premiere. Paul subsequently pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault and, in August of this year, completed a three-year probation period. She noted on Instagram that her probation was one of the longest she had seen for a first-time offense, reflecting on her past lack of understanding regarding domestic violence.
In March, Marnie Maxwell, a program administrator for Utah DCFS, explained the agency's approach to complex child safety situations, emphasizing that their primary role is to assess the overall safety of children. Maxwell noted that while removing a child from their home can be traumatic, DCFS aims to create safety plans and provide resources to keep children with their families whenever possible, with removal being a last resort. She also highlighted that issues of potential abuse or neglect affect all types of families and that familiarity with available resources is crucial for helping families in need.