Brittany Cartwright filed for divorce in August 2024 from Jax Taylor after five years together. The pair wed in July 2019 at a Kentucky castle despite numerous scandals.
She officially filed for divorce six months after announcing the split, citing irreconcilable differences and requesting legal and physical custody of their son, Cruz. The couple met in 2015 in Las Vegas when she was a waitress in Hooters and he was starring in the third season of Vanderpump Rules.
The news of their split came months after the first season of The Valley aired on Bravo. The breakdown of their marriage was no shock to reality TV fans, who watched the couple go through numerous highs and lows throughout their relationship.
At the premiere of The Valley, Brittany told PEOPLE that she felt relief at moving out of her family home with her son.
"Once a woman hits her breaking point, it's like 'Done.' Something like clicked in my head, and I was like 'I need to step away from this situation. This is not not healthy. This is not a good situation. My son deserves better. I deserve better’.
While she felt relieved, a source told PEOPLE that Jax was feeling “mixed emotions,” about the end of his marriage. "He knows this is ultimately the right decision but is sad that things ended up the way they have," the insider said. "It’s been an emotional month for him and he’s trying to stay strong for his son."
Brittany Is Waiting For Her Divorce To Be Finalized
On her podcast, When Reality Hits with Brittany Cartwright, from March 21, the reality star admitted that she is still waiting for the divorce to be finalized.
"You know, [there are] a couple of things still working on here and there. Hopefully it won't be much longer."
She also revealed she would be celebrating the day her divorce was finalized. "I'll be sad that day as well, a little bit, but I'm definitely going to have a party. Hopefully it will be sooner, rather than later."
Jax recently spoke with Us Weekly about the lengthy divorce and how he is struggling with being single. “Every day is something different. I’m walking on eggshells. I’m trying my best to be amicable. I want us to say, the marriage didn’t work, but we’re great parents and have a beautiful son. Nothing else matters.”
As of April 2025, Brittany and Jax are not on good terms. Brittany told Access Hollywood that her and her ex “aren’t in a great place. I try but you know.”
Last month Jax also spoke about the couple’s issues. “I will never talk negatively about Brittany, but I’m angry with some of the things she’s done. It takes two to fight. A marriage is a team thing — you’re partners.”
Brittany And Jax Are Co-Parenting Their Son
Brittany and Jax are co-parenting their 3-year-old son Cruz. The couple have also said he was their main priority despite the split. "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."
Brittany explained the difficulties on her podcast, When Reality Hits. "It's hard to give your child away, and you're used to being with them 100 percent of the time, and it can be difficult. But Jax loves his son, he does. It's just big personality."
Jax spoke to about the difficulties and how he is dealing with it on a day by day basis. "It's a wound.”
"Going through a divorce is a wound, so we gotta make it heal. Schedules are tough because we're both very busy; we both got a lot going on. Once we get that figured out, I think it will be great. I literally live five minutes from her, so we try to help each other out as much as we can."
Season 2 Of The Valley Will Show Brittany And Jax’ Divorce
The upcoming second season of The Valley will follow the breakdown of Jaz and Brittany’s relationship. The series started filming in August, around the same time Brittany filed for divorce from Jax.
"It's the hardest season of my entire life," Jax explained "It was the hardest year of my entire life filming this show. My father's death was number one, for sure, and this took it over."
One scene in the trailer shows Jax being served papers at his home. In another scene from the sneak peek, Brittany talks about finding a thong that wasn’t hers in the bathroom sink.
According to the official announcement for The Valley Season 2, "after 10 years of marriage, Jax is at an emotional crossroads as he deals with his separation from Brittany."
In the second season of the reality show, Jax checks himself into a mental health facility to work on his anger. Bravo fans will also see Brittany "rediscover herself" amid the split without "resisting the urge to forgive and forget Jax's behavior once again."
With Jax away seeking professional help, Brittany will lean on the friend group more than ever. According to Bravo, "When her friendships with Zack [Wickham] and Kristen [Doute] are put to the test, Brittany finally reaches her breaking point."
The Valley season 2 premieres on Bravo on April 15 at 9 p.m. ET and episodes are available for streaming the following day of Peacock.