Jax Taylor has revealed he has a cocaine addiction in a shocking new interview.
The former Vanderpump Rules star, 45, who checked into rehab last summer amid his divorce from Brittany Cartwright, admitted he was often high on the drug while filming and that producers thought his erratic behavior was due to 'drinking too much.'
Speaking on the Hot Mic podcast with former Bravo executive producer Alex Baskin, Taylor said he had been battling addiction for more than 20 years and is now 83 days sober.
He said: 'I have substance issues — primarily with cocaine. It’s hard to say out loud. I’ve been dealing with this on and off since I was 23 and now I’m 45. There was times where I would stop doing it but then there were times where I’d go heavy on it.'
'I just want to let people know this is a really, really tough disease and it’s a really tough sickness.
'I’ve never said this in my life. So to come out and say that I have an addiction [and] that I have a sickness that I have to work on the rest of my life is a really big deal for me. Obviously, it’s a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.'
Jax Taylor has revealed he has a cocaine addiction in a shocking new interview - pictured 2023
The former Vanderpump Rules star, 45, who checked into rehab last summer amid his divorce from Brittany Cartwright (pictured 2023), admitted he was often high on the drug while filming
Taylor said the stress of his marital split intensified his addiction, causing him to go to rehab after he 'hit rock bottom' and exploded at his estranged wife in front of their son, Cruz, three.
When asked about filming Vanderpump Rules while on drugs, Taylor said: 'I thought for the most part that I was keeping a lot of it under the radar. But clearly I wasn’t.
'When I watch back I’m like, "How big are my f*****g pupils?" I’m sweating and there’s no reason to be sweating in the scene. Why am I sweating? There were some signs.
'And they did pull me aside a couple times and say, "Listen, calm down now." They didn’t know but they thought I was drinking too much.'
Taylor said production weren't 'supplying' the cast' and detailed how he would use a brief 30 minute break between scenes to 'go to a bar, get lit' or get 'ripped' before a scene, as cast members were banned from drinking during scenes.
He added: '[They] could kind of tell that I was on something. Obviously production and [other] people, they didn’t know what I was doing. Everything I was doing was on my own but I was just on that train and I couldn’t get off.'
Reflecting on his downward spiral after splitting from Brittany, he said: 'I’m going through a divorce right now, which is extremely difficult. When Brittany and I separated, that’s when the addiction got worse.
'I’ve been doing it for a long time but the addiction got worse during my divorce and during my separation. I literally lost control. I hit rock bottom and I had to go to rehab.
When asked about filming Vanderpump Rules while on drugs, Taylor said: 'I thought for the most part that I was keeping a lot of it under the radar. But clearly I wasn’t.'
Speaking on the Hot Mic podcast with former Bravo executive producer Alex Baskin, Taylor said he had been battling addiction for more than 20 years - pictured on season 1 of the show
Taylor said the stress of his marital split intensified his addiction, causing him to go to rehab after he 'hit rock bottom' and exploded at his estranged wife in front of their son, Cruz, three
'It didn’t happen the first time. It happened the second time. I got a lot out of it the first time. Then when I was out, there was an incident. Brittany and I were actually on the way to a doctor’s appointment for our son and her phone was connected to my car and a man’s name came up. It just triggered me.
'I did slip after the first incident and I did take substance the night before. I lost it. I went crazy in the car yelling.
'The worst part about all of this — and this is why I checked myself in — is that my son was in the backseat. That’s when I knew that I have a problem and it’s still there. This was just this utter disgust. The first time I put up a little bit of a fight and the second time I knew I had to go back.'
'I dug deep and I took over the groups and therapy. I tried to be a mentor to some people and I loved it. The second time, I was really a little bit more into it.'
Taylor said cocaine addiction left him feeling like 'absolute s**t', 'You have zero serotonin. You are just angry and depressed. Anybody who’s done cocaine will tell you that the next day is brutal. It’s weird why we do it for two hours of fun and the next 48 hours are miserable.'
The reality star revealed he has made significant adjustments to his life to ensure he stays sober, staying 'regimented' when he does public appearances instead of 'meeting fans and drinking 25 shots.'
He added he goes to therapy and is drug tested every week, saying: 'I need to be held accountable and I want the results to be sent to my ex-wife.'
Taylor said he is 'California sober' now, as he still smokes weed 'a little bit.'
Taylor clarified that his sobriety falls under the California sober category.
He added: '[I am focused on] one day at a time. The big thing here is my son. He’s my drive and he’s my No. 1 driver for this.
The former couple married at the Kentucky Castle in Cartwright's home state in June 2019
They welcomed their son Cruz in 2021 - and Brittany requested sole custody
'Obviously, I’m not the type of person who can have one drink and be OK. It’s just not in my cards and I had to stop. I was going to lose custody. I’m embarrassing my ex-wife and I’m embarrassing myself. Nobody’s looking at me seriously. I want to do it for myself.
'I take care of my son as much as [Brittany] allows me to. I don’t know what else she wants from me. I’m doing everything that she’s asked for just because I respect her and I want to make her happy. I’m going above and beyond to show her that I do care and I want to be in my son’s life.'
In September, Jax revealed that he had no idea he was a narcissist until he spent 30 days in a mental health facility.
'I am a narcissist, yes,' he said on his When Reality Hits podcast. 'I breadcrumb, I love bomb [and also] gaslighting. I’m missing some but I do all these things. I had no idea there were terms for these things.'
He continued, 'And I’ve been this person for years and I had no idea. I was never held accountable for my actions for many, many years until recently — until people have had enough.'
He also revealed that he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and PTSD.
'A little over a month ago, I checked into an intensive inpatient treatment facility scared of the unknown and what I would find out about myself,' he wrote, accompanied by a black-and-white photo of himself reading on a couch.
'After many years of knowing something was wrong but not knowing exactly what it was, I recently learned that I was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and PTSD,' he continued, also mentioning his and Brittany's three-year-old son, Cruz.
'It’s been a lot to process and an emotional time for me, however I’ve come home to my son with a new found sense of peace.
Previously he said he couldn't believe his soon-to-be ex-wife had put up with him for as long as she did.
Brittany filed for divorce last August, citing 'irreconcilable differences' as the reason for ending their five-year marriage, mere months after their separation.
The pair had no sex life and their relationship had descended into 'bitter fights,' sparking concerns that tensions between them were affecting their only child.
'Doing The Valley with Jax really helped her cement her decision to leave him,' an insider told DailyMail.com exclusively.
Brittany served divorce papers to Jax while filming the second season of The Valley. She cited their date of separation as January 24.
For help contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline on 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
