Well, looks like that split wasn’t just promo for The Valley after all! Months after announcing their separation, Brittany Cartwright officially filed for divorce from Jax Taylor. Brittany and Jax were married for five years, and share a 3-year-old son named Cruz.
Brittany and Jax began dating in 2015, and their relationship was heavily chronicled on Vanderpump Rules. They got engaged in 2018, about a year after Jax’s infidelity. Despite the rocky history, Brittany was over the moon at the time, yelling “I’m engayged!” off of her balcony like Monica Gellar in Friends. The couple had an elaborate wedding ceremony at Brittany’s dream location, the Kentucky Castle, the following year.
Their separation was announced just before their reality TV comeback on The Valley, which led to speculation it was all a publicity stunt. However, Season 1 heavily explored the problems in their marriage. Then, in the finale, Brittany explained why she officially had enough. Months later, she’s taking the next step. Here’s everything we know about Brittany and Jax’s impending divorce so far.
What Brittany Cartwright’s divorce filing reveals
As we saw on The Valley, Brittany took the initiative to separate. It’s not surprising, then, that she’s also the one to file for divorce. The court documents were filed on Tuesday, August 27, and obtained by TMZ the same day.
Brittany listed the standard reason, irreconcilable differences, as the cause for the split. She requested sole legal and physical custody of Cruz, although also asked the court to grant Jax visitation rights. Brittany listed the date of separation as January 24 of this year. That’s about a month before they officially announced the split.
As for the financials of it all, Brittany isn’t requesting spousal support. In fact, she also asked the judge to deny any requests for spousal support from either party. On The Valley, Brittany claimed that she made good money. She also said that Jax had a problem with her making more than he did.
How did Jax Taylor respond?
When the news first broke, Jax’s rep had no comment. Later that day, a source close to Jax spoke to People. Understandably, the former SUR bartender is having “mixed emotions” about the end of his marriage.
According to the source, Jax “knows this is ultimately the right decision but is sad that things ended up the way they have.” Referencing his inpatient therapy stay, the insider continued, “It’s been an emotional month for him.” Ultimately, they added, “he’s trying to stay strong for his son.” When Jax checked in to rehab, he emphasized his motivation to be a better man for Cruz. He was at the mental health facility for a 30-day stay.
A source previously told People, “Brittany was supportive of Jax’s decision to seek help for their son’s sake. However, going forward, she’s not interested in having anything to do with him.”
What led Brittany to file for divorce?
Meanwhile, a source close to Brittany also spoke to People. To start, they claimed the official split was a “long time coming.” The source emphasized that Brittany knows this is the best move for her and her son. Brittany’s main motivation was for her and Cruz to “move forward and put a stop to this tumultuous cycle they’ve been living in.”
“There’s a lot that has transpired over the past few months that she could not look past,” the source added. Though they didn’t mention specifics, the relationship soured even more since the separation. For instance, Jax and Brittany stopped co-hosting their shared podcast. Just recently, Brittany accused her ex of lying about giving money to charity. And she reportedly couldn’t stand to be in the same room with Jax anymore. Meanwhile, on a happier note, she’s seeing a new man. Allegedly.
Ultimately, the source said, “This decision wasn’t made lightly but she feels adamant that it was the right one.”
What were Jax and Brittany doing leading up to the divorce filing?
Brittany filing for divorce isn’t entirely surprising, for several reasons. Including the estranged couples’ actions- and the headlines that came out about them- in recent weeks. Perhaps most notably, in hindsight, was Brittany’s most recent Instagram post before the divorce filing. Posing in a revenge dress, she wrote the caption, “Out with the old, in with the new.” The post was liked by Kristen Doute, who also commented, “dayum.” The day she filed, she posted another glamorous selfie, and claimed she’s “getting my sparkle back.”
Just recently, a few of her friends (temporarily) renamed Jax’s bar to Britt’s Studio City. Including a few of The Valley’s cast members. Jax was still in rehab at the time.
It makes sense that Brittany would wait to file until after Jax completed his inpatient therapy. Around the time of his release, Brittany moved her stuff out of their shared home. Meanwhile, Jax got a haircut.
Will the divorce play out in Season 2 of The Valley?
Yes, The Valley Season 2 is still filming. Although, even if it wasn’t, we imagine they’d pick cameras back up. That’s what they did in Season 1, to capture the moments after Brittany first left Jax. The show kept filming during Jax’s rehab stay as well.
Cameras have been up all summer. So, we imagine viewers will get a close look at what Jax did in the past few months that pushed her over the edge. Judging by the Britt’s Studio City rebrand, at least a few of The Valley’s cast members are firmly on Brittany’s side. With all this divorce drama, we’ll have to see if the show gets a reunion this time around. Fans were super disappointed that the shockingly good Season 1 didn’t have one at all.
We also imagine that Season 2 will cover the estranged spouses’ rumored post-separation romances. Out with the old, in with the new, indeed!
TELL US – ARE YOU SHOCKED BRITTANY CARTWRIGHT FILED FOR DIVORCE FROM JAX TAYLOR?