Brittany Cartwright Reveals if Jax Taylor Cheating Caused Their Breakup
Brittany Cartwright is pumping the breaks on cheating rumors.
One month after the Vanderpump Rules alum shared that she and husband Jax Taylor have separated after four years of marriage, she officially set the record straight about why they decided to take some time apart.
"The truth is is that we have just been fighting and not on the same page for a while now and it was just becoming a negative space in our own house," Brittany exclusively told E! News' Keltie Knight and Courtney Lopez during the March 18 episode. "I just don't want that for our son. I don't want him growing up thinking it's normal to live like that."
But when it comes to speculation Jax was unfaithful to her before their split, the 35-year-old confirmed, "Jax did not cheat on me, but we got into a very bad fight and I decided to pack up my stuff and I've been staying in an Airbnb since January 24."
Brittany—who shares 2-year-old Cruz with Jax—also revealed the two had been broken up for a while before she decided to reveal in February they separated and are now living apart.
"The only reason that I felt like I had to announce was because the Instagram sleuths literally realized that I was staying at a different house," she explained, "and rumors started spinning going crazy everywhere."
But while the future of the Bravo stars' relationship remains up in the air, Brittany is confident in her decision to move out of their L.A. home.
"I'm doing it for my mental space," she said, "and I feel very strong with my decision to get out for a while."
As for where Jax's headspace is at amid their marriage troubles?
"I don't really have much fight left in me," the 44-year-old told E! during the March 18 interview. "We're separated, we're trying to work it out."
However, he agrees with Brittany that Cruz is their main priority at the moment.
"I gotta do what's best for my son," Jax shared. "He's number one and we both agree on that. 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."
See what led to their breakup by tuning in to Jax and Brittany's new Bravo series The Valley, which premieres tonight, March 19, following a new episode of Vanderpump Rules. Beginning Tuesday, March 26, the series will move to its regular timeslot of 9 p.m.
And keep reading to relive Jax and Brittany's romance pre-split.
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright first meet while vacationing in Las Vegas in 2015. He convinced her to join the cast of Vanderpump Rules for season four, which premiered that same year. Following her Bravo debut, the Kentucky native and Jax took their relationship to the next level in the public eye.
The pair took a break from life in West Hollywood and headed to the brunette beauty's home state: Kentucky. They filmed their Bravo spinoff show, Jax and Brittany Take Kentucky, where they experience many ups and downs in their relationship. The first and only season aired in 2017.
Brittany and Jax briefly called it quits in December 2017 after he confessed to cheating with fellow VPR castmate Faith Stowers. However, they rekindled their romance and appeared happier than ever during the Pump Rules reunion in May 2018.
"He was very persistent and just did not give up," Brittany told E! News following the reconciliation. "There were some times—sorry to say this Jax—where I'd have 30 missed calls from him. He just wasn't going to give up on me."
Brittany shared the special news that she and Jax are engaged on Instagram. "Omg omg!!!!!!!! We are ENGAGED! What a way to start our summer and season 7," she said of her proposal, which took place in Malibu in June 2018. " I am so happy, so in love, and so beyond excited for this next chapter of our lives! I am the happiest girl ever right now."
The two lovebirds celebrate their engagement news with their closest friends and family. It's certainly a night to remember!
The two bring the glitz and the glam to ther 2018 People's Choice Awards, where Brittany showed off her gorgeous engagement bling.
"Thank you sooooo much to the fans who got us this far, this is an incredible experience that I never imagined I would be apart of and I am so grateful," she wrote on Instagram. "I won't forget this night for the rest of my life..."
In the midst of wedding planning, the reality TV personalities shared a special moment on Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live.
The couple lived it up as they celebrated their joint bachelorette and bachelor parties in Miami. At the time, a source told E! News Jax and Brittany were "having a blast" with their guests.
Ahead of their televised wedding ceremony, the couple got their marriage license at the Clark County Courthouse in Kentucky.
Family, friends and Vanderpump Rules cast members watched the Bravo stars tie the knot at a Kentucky Castle in June 2020.
In September 2020, Brittany and Jax announce they're expecting a baby boy. "Mom & Dad," Brittany captioned a phoyto of herself and Jax. "The love of our lives is coming soon."
Amid Brittany's pregnancy, the couple announced in December 2020 that they "will not be returning for another season of Vanderpump Rules."
They added at the time, "We are excited to take this time to focus on our growing family and share with you our new endeavors."
Brittany gave birth to her and Jax's first baby—son Cruz Michael Cauchi—on April 12, 2021 "We have never been more in love," she shared on Instagram. "He is the most precious gift and I am so blessed to be his Mommy. We are soooooo so happy, he is a dream come true!!"
In January 2024, Bravo announced that Brittany and Jax—as well as fellow VPR alum Kristen Doute—will star in the spinoff series called The Valley, which will center around their day-to-day in the famed Los Angeles suburb.
The couple hinted at problems in their marriage in February 2024, sharing that they had separated for the time being.
"Yes, marriages in general are very hard and I've had a particularly rough year this past year," Brittany shared on their joint podcast When Reality Hits. "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."
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