The Valley Producer Denies Rehab Deal With Jax Taylor, Explains Why He Had His Phone, Defends Having Him on Show, & Addresses Criticism of Show’s ‘Dark’ Tone

Executive producer Alex Baskin reacted to the claim that he made an under-the-table deal with Jax Taylor’s rehab facility so Jax could keep his phone. The producer also shared why Jax was allowed the device – from which he ‘rage texted’ his estranged wife Brittany Cartwright.

Many fans questioned why Jax was allowed the phone during treatment. Amid his stay, Jax filmed himself as a video diary for The Valley, which was then filming for season 2. Some viewers speculated that Jax didn’t actually go to rehab at all.

On the Lady Gang podcast, the executive producer was asked why Jax had his phone in rehab.

“He was allowed to keep his phone,” said Alex, via @vanderpodrecaps on Instagram. “There’s murmurs of California state law where your phone has to remain accessible … That’s what I know.”

Alex then addressed speculation that he made a deal under the table with the rehab facility so Jax could keep the device.

“No,” he answered. “I mean, he checked himself in and he was allowed to keep his phone by his side and yeah, there you go … [Rehab] seemed like a step that he needed to take. He did it of his own volition. And so it’s our job to document it at that point. So, you know, we made very clear that we supported him taking the steps that he needed to take.”

Alex shared that he understands how some fans are “sympathetic” to Jax. “Clearly there’s something going on [with him],” he said. “I also agree that people should be responsible for their actions.

“We take some hits because the show is considered dark this season. And I always have the same response to that, which is this is real,” he went on. “So I’m not sure where people would want us to point our cameras. So sometimes it’s hard to watch, but I’m not sure what story we would be telling otherwise. And also a lot of people say, well this is somehow sort of glorifying Jax, but it’s Brittany’s story too. So you’re seeing what she is going through. And I’m proud of the fact that it’s unvarnished. And then, you know, the audience can sort of make up their own minds.”

“A lot of people go through this in some capacity,” he added. “It’s just usually you see a watered-down version of it on television and not the version of it that we’re showing.”

And in a more recent interview with Variety, Alex defended the network’s decision to have Jax on the show despite his volatile actions.

“Our job is to tell the full story,” Alex said to the outlet. “If we didn’t tell the story in its completeness, then we would be covering up something that really happened and denying Brittany the chance to share what she had been through. I don’t think that’s really ‘platforming an abuser’ as much as that is platforming the story — which includes Brittany’s experience as well as Jax’s.”