Brittany Cartwright Says She'd Still Be With Jax Taylor if It Weren't for This
Brittany Cartwright revealed how her and estranged husband Jax Taylor's son Cruz inspired her to leave their toxic marriage and shared how the 3-year-old is doing amid their messy divorce.
Brittany Cartwright has absolutely zero regrets about leaving Jax Taylor.
Nearly seven months after The Valley star filed for divorce from Jax after five years of marriage, Brittany shared the one motivation that gave her the strength to walk away from their troubled relationship: Their 3-year-old son Cruz.
"Cruz is my driving force to be happier and to be a better person," the 36-year-old told cohosts Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes on their I Do, Part 2 podcast March 18, "and to be in a space where I feel comfortable and be a better mom for him. I feel like I just had so much stress and pressure every day in my life."
"The energy was so bad and so off in our house," she continued. "I felt like I had to get out and I had to do it for my son."
In fact, the Vanderpump Rules alum believes she'd likely still be married if it weren't for their son.
"If I didn't have him, I probably would have stayed with Jax for the rest of my life," Brittany admitted. "I feel like I loved Jax so much and I really was into this life and this marriage with him. I thought he was going to be my forever person. And having Cruz and seeing how I was treated in front of my son really opened my eyes. I think for a lot of women, you just as so blinded by love that you don't really realize everything that you're going through."
And even though the Kentucky native confessed there have been a "couple times" she considered reconciling with Jax since their February 2024 breakup, there's no chance of a reunion at this point.
"We will never, ever get back together," Brittany said. "I know I'm worth so much more. And I know I can do so much better than what he put me through."
BravoAs for how Cruz is doing amid his parents' divorce, Brittany said he's doing "absolutely amazing" now that the exes are living separately.
"He is thriving," the Bravolebrity gushed. "He wants to see his mom happy. I think that actually affects him more, to see a happy mom and a happy household and everything than having negativity around 24/7."
Brittany added, "He's only 3, so luckily he doesn't really get everything that's going on at this moment. I just feel like he's so much happier."
See Jax and Brittany's breakup drama play out when season two of The Valley premieres Tuesday, Apr. 15, at 9 p.m. on Bravo.
In the meantime, keep reading for a closer look at everything that's happened since their divorce.
Michael Simon/ShutterstockJax Taylor's First Cheating Scandal
Years before they even got married, Jax Taylor cheated on Brittany Cartwright in 2017 when he hooked up with former SUR waitress Faith Stowers.
"This isn't my first time being caught cheating," Jax admitted at the time as the drama played out on Vanderpump Rules. "In the past, I've gone through months and months of deny, deny, deny, and that didn't work for me."
But while a devasted Brittany broke up with him, they got back together months later and eventually wed in 2020.
Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty ImagesBrittany Cartwright Announces Separation
Fast forward to February 2024, Brittany announced she and Jax—who share 2-year-old son Cruz—had separated after four years of marriage.
"Yes, marriages in general are very hard and I've had a particularly rough year this past year," the Kentucky native shared on their When Reality Hits podcast. "Jax and I are taking time apart and I made the decision to move into another home to take some space for the sake of my mental health."
"I'm taking one day at a time," Brittany added. "I don't know what the future holds, but right now my focus is on being the best mom to Cruz."
Felix Kunze/BravoSigns Their Marriage Was Imploding
One month later, the cracks in the couple's relationship became much more apparent when Bravo released the trailer for its new series The Valley.
"I don't feel like he's attracted to me, we don't have sex ever," Brittany admitted in the March 11 preview before Jax added, "It's so hard to be married sometimes."
Plus, costar Janet Caperna teased in the clip, "There's a rumor about Jax cheating online."
Felix Kunze/BravoJax Taylor Addresses Cheating Rumors
However, Jax slammed allegations of infidelity days after the trailer release.
"We're just having a little communication issues right now. That's all, there's nothing else," he exclusively told E! News March 14 at The Valley premiere party. "There's no cheating. There's no infidelity anywhere. It's just communication. I know it's shocking, but people sometimes just don't get along and that's life."
"We see each other every single day," he added. "The only thing that's different is we just don't sleep under the same roof. That's it."
Felix Kunze/Bravo via Getty ImagesBrittany Cartwright Weighs in on Infidelity Claims
Despite rumors, Brittany confirmed Jax cheating did not cause their breakup and shared the true timeline of their separation.
"We got into a very bad fight and I decided to pack up my stuff," the 35-year-old exclusively told E! News March 18, "and I've been staying in an Airbnb since January 24."
"I'm doing it for my mental space," she added, "and I feel very strong with my decision to get out for a while."
Instagram/Brittany CartwrightJax Taylor & Brittany Cartwright Are Putting Son Cruz First
Despite their personal drama, the estranged couple agreed on one thing: They are doing what's best for 2-year-old son.
"He's no. 1 and we both agree on that," Jax told E!. "It's about knowing he's got two loving parents that love him to death and he's gonna have the best life possible, whether we are together or not."
As for their increased fighting, Brittany agreed, "I just don't want that for our son. I don't want him growing up thinking it's normal to live like that."
Chad Salvador/ShutterstockBrittany Cartwright Shares Hope for Possible Reconciliation
Brittany admitted in March that "there's always hope," but she just needs Jax to put in the work.
"I don't think anybody will ever love Jax the way I've loved Jax," Brittany told E!. "Over all these years, I've been through so much with him and I'm stuck by his side through everything. So I think that if he makes certain changes that I've asked, maybe we could get back together. But right now, I just really need to figure out myself. I felt really strong and really proud of myself for being able to step out and do what's right for me. My mental health is super important."
Bravo/NBCUniversalLisa Vanderpump Weighs In
One person who wasn't so shocked by Jax and Brittany's separation? Their former SUR boss Lisa Vanderpump.
"Everybody predicted that when they got married," the Real Housewives alum shared with E!. "They said, 'Oh this won't last long,' but I kind of never liked to draw conclusions."
"I don't know what the reason was," she added, "but I imagine it was probably something to do with Jax's bad behavior. I'm not sure, but the indicator of future behavior is normally past behavior."
Scott Kirkland/ShutterstockScheana Shay Is Team Brittany Cartwright
"I think it’s for the best," their longtime friend Scheana Shay told E! News March 23 of the split. "I think she deserves better and she deserves a partner who’s going to treat her with respect.
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