NEWSJax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright Restraining Orders Raise Custody Questions
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright’s divorce entered a more serious legal phase as they faced dueling restraining orders.
Sept. 6 2026, Published 6:19 a.m. ET
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright’s divorce has entered a more serious legal phase.
A judge reportedly partly granted Taylor, 47, a temporary restraining order against Cartwright, 37, after she was granted a domestic violence restraining order against him on August 27. Taylor’s order expires September 24, the same day as a scheduled hearing.
The temporary orders raised questions about custody and visitation involving their son.
Cartwright’s order bars Taylor from coming within 100 yards of her, her home, her car and their 5-year-old son Cruz’s school, and he has been denied visitation until a September 17 hearing.
What a TRO Actually Means
Legal experts explained that temporary restraining orders did not represent final findings by the court.
“A temporary restraining order is basically the court saying, ‘Everybody stop. We’re putting some rules in place until we can have a hearing and figure out what’s actually going on,’” said Hannah Hembree Bell, founder and CEO of Hembree Bell Law Firm, who is not involved in the case.
“What it does not mean is that the judge has already decided who is telling the truth or who ultimately wins,” she added.
Jo-Anna Nieves of The Nieves Law Firm, also not involved, said judges often make the first decision from paperwork alone.
“At this initial stage, the standard is whether there is reasonable proof of a past act or acts of abuse,” she explained. “The issuance of a TRO should not be confused with a final determination on the merits.”
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Dueling Claims
Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor made competing allegations as their legal dispute intensified.
Cartwright alleged a “pattern of acts of domestic violence” and claimed Taylor had abused her as recently as August 26. Taylor denied “each and every allegation” in his own filing and alleged Cartwright had verbally and physically attacked him during their relationship.
Taylor also claimed Cartwright’s accusations affected his work, alleging she contacted Special Forces after he was hired and that his casting was “abruptly cancelled.” He asked that she be barred from contacting employers or prospective employers to harass, disparage or interfere with his employment.
Bell said the next hearings are where the claims will be tested.
“This is where each side has an opportunity to come in with the receipts,” she said. “Allegations start having to meet evidence.”
The Custody Stakes
Upcoming hearings were expected to test both sides’ allegations and supporting evidence.
“A temporary order can impose immediate restrictions affecting contact, exchanges, visitation, or communication concerning a child,” Nieves said. “If a court ultimately makes a finding of domestic violence, California law also contains a rebuttable presumption affecting custody determinations.”
Nieves said California law defines abuse more broadly than physical violence, including conduct that disturbs someone’s peace or involves coercive control.
But public reaction often moves faster than the court.
“A headline saying ‘restraining order granted’ can travel around the world before anybody bothers to read what was actually granted, what wasn’t granted, or what has and has not been proven,” Bell noted.
