Jax Taylor Gives Brittany Cartwright Full Custody of Son Cruz successful New Divorce Filing
One of Vanderpump Rules ' longest lasting couples is nary more—officially .
In February, Brittany Cartwright shocked Bravo fans erstwhile she announced that she and Jax Taylor had separated aft 4 years of marriage and astir a decennary together.
"Yes, marriages successful wide are precise hard and I've had a peculiarly unsmooth twelvemonth this past year," the Kentucky autochthonal shared connected their When Reality Hits podcast. "Jax and I are taking clip isolated and I made the determination to determination into different location to instrumentality immoderate abstraction for the involvement of my intelligence health."
Brittany made it wide determination was nary reconciliation successful show by filing for divorcement from Jax , E! News confirmed Aug. 27.
According to ineligible docs, Brittany—who shares 3-year-old lad Cruz with the chap world star—cited irreconcilable differences arsenic the crushed for the split, which she dated arsenic Jan. 24. Brittany is seeking superior ineligible and carnal custody of Cruz.
And earlier this week, Jax yet responded to Brittany's petition and asked the courts to springiness her afloat custody of their son, according to ineligible docs obtained by E! News.
As for what narration problems yet forced Brittany to locomotion distant from Jax?
Many assumed it was cheating connected Jax's portion fixed his history of infidelity . Meanwhile, immoderate of their Vanderpump Rules costars—including Scheana Shay and Lisa Vanderpump —have weighed successful to springiness their opinions connected what caused the split.
However, Brittany making their breakup authoritative with a divorcement filing isn't totally a astonishment to Bravo fans, who watched the exes' matrimony crumble during play 1 of The Valley earlier this year.
Felix Kunze/Bravo
Jax adjacent recently sought in-patient treatment for intelligence wellness struggles aft Brittany revealed the "horrible" insults helium called her down closed doors during the Bravo series' June 4 finale. However, the efforts intelligibly couldn't hole erstwhile couple's narration issues.
In the aftermath of Jax's caller effect to Brittany's divorcement filing—plus his confusing remark stating they were ne'er really married—keep speechmaking for a afloat timeline of her and Jax's breakup, positive everything they've said astir what caused their separation.
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Jax Taylor's First Cheating Scandal
Years earlier they adjacent got married, Jax Taylor cheated connected Brittany Cartwright successful 2017 erstwhile helium hooked up with erstwhile SUR waitress Faith Stowers .
"This isn't my archetypal clip being caught cheating," Jax admitted astatine the clip arsenic the play played retired connected Vanderpump Rules . "In the past, I've gone done months and months of deny, deny, deny, and that didn't enactment for me."
But portion a devasted Brittany broke up with him, they got backmost unneurotic months aboriginal and yet wed successful 2020.
Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Brittany Cartwright Announces Separation
Fast guardant to February 2024, Brittany announced she and Jax—who stock 2-year-old lad Cruz —had separated aft 4 years of marriage .
"Yes, marriages successful wide are precise hard and I've had a peculiarly unsmooth twelvemonth this past year," the Kentucky autochthonal shared connected their When Reality Hits podcast. "Jax and I are taking clip isolated and I made the determination to determination into different location to instrumentality immoderate abstraction for the involvement of my intelligence health."
"I'm taking 1 time astatine a time," Brittany added. "I don't cognize what the aboriginal holds, but close present my absorption is connected being the champion ma to Cruz ."
Signs Their Marriage Was Imploding
One period later, the cracks successful the couple's narration became overmuch much evident erstwhile Bravo released the trailer for its caller bid The Valley .
"I don't consciousness similar he's attracted to me, we don't person enactment ever," Brittany admitted successful the March 11 preview earlier Jax added, "It's truthful hard to beryllium joined sometimes."
Plus, costar Janet Caperna teased successful the clip, "There's a rumor astir Jax cheating online."
Jax Taylor Addresses Cheating Rumors
However, Jax slammed allegations of infidelity days aft the trailer release.
"We're conscionable having a small connection issues close now. That's all, there's thing else," he exclusively told E! News March 14 astatine The Valley premiere party. "There's nary cheating. There's nary infidelity anywhere. It's conscionable communication. I cognize it's shocking, but radical sometimes conscionable don't get on and that's life."
"We spot each different each azygous day," helium added. "The lone happening that's antithetic is we conscionable don't slumber nether the aforesaid roof. That's it."
Felix Kunze/Bravo via Getty Images
Brittany Cartwright Weighs successful connected Infidelity Claims
Despite rumors, Brittany confirmed Jax cheating did not origin their breakup and shared the existent timeline of their separation.
"We got into a precise atrocious combat and I decided to battalion up my stuff," the 35-year-old exclusively told E! News March 18, "and I've been staying successful an Airbnb since January 24."
"I'm doing it for my intelligence space," she added, "and I consciousness precise beardown with my determination to get retired for a while."
Instagram/Brittany Cartwright
Jax Taylor & Brittany Cartwright Are Putting Son Cruz First
Despite their idiosyncratic drama, the estranged mates agreed connected 1 thing: They are doing what's champion for 2-year-old son.
"He's no. 1 and we some hold connected that," Jax told E!. "It's astir knowing he's got 2 loving parents that emotion him to decease and he's gonna person the champion beingness possible, whether we are unneurotic oregon not."
As for their accrued fighting, Brittany agreed, "I conscionable don't privation that for our son. I don't privation him increasing up reasoning it's mean to unrecorded similar that."
Chad Salvador/Shutterstock
Brittany Cartwright Shares Hope for Possible Reconciliation
Brittany admitted successful March that "there's ever hope," but she conscionable needs Jax to enactment successful the work.
"I don't deliberation anybody volition ever emotion Jax the mode I've loved Jax," Brittany told E!. "Over each these years, I've been done truthful overmuch with him and I'm stuck by his broadside done everything. So I deliberation that if helium makes definite changes that I've asked, possibly we could get backmost together. But close now, I conscionable truly request to fig retired myself. I felt truly beardown and truly arrogant of myself for being capable to measurement retired and bash what's close for me. My intelligence wellness is ace important."
Lisa Vanderpump Weighs In
One idiosyncratic who wasn't truthful shocked by Jax and Brittany's separation? Their erstwhile SUR brag Lisa Vanderpump .
"Everybody predicted that erstwhile they got married," the Real Housewives alum shared with E!. "They said, 'Oh this won't past long,' but I benignant of ne'er liked to gully conclusions."
"I don't cognize what the crushed was," she added, "but I ideate it was astir apt thing to bash with Jax's atrocious behavior. I'm not sure, but the indicator of aboriginal behaviour is usually past behavior."
Scott Kirkland/Shutterstock
Scheana Shay Is Team Brittany Cartwright
"I deliberation it’s for the best," their longtime person Scheana Shay told E! News March 23 of the split. "I deliberation she deserves amended and she deserves a spouse who’s going to dainty her with respect."
Kristen Doute Supports Brittany Cartwright's Decision
And the couple's The Valley costar Kristen Doute agreed with Scheana .
"I'm arrogant of Brittany for mounting boundaries for making the prime for her," Kristen admitted. "But I'm precise hopeful that they tin enactment this out. But that's connected Jax, that's not connected her."
Brittany Cartwright Accuses Jax Taylor of Mistreatment
During The Valley 's June 4 play finale, Brittany confronted Jax astir insults helium allegedly hurled astatine her down closed doors.
As costar Kristen Doute recounted, "Does helium say, 'I cognize I dainty you similar s—t. 'I cognize I'm mean. I cognize I've called you abdominous and I've told you you're f--king lazy and that you're not going to person immoderate friends if you guys interruption up?'"
Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
How Brittany Cartwright Feels About Jax Dating Again
"We said that, going into this, that we could trial the waters with different radical if we wanted to," Brittany exclusively told E! News successful June. "I cognize that seems weird, it mightiness beryllium a small brainsick for a batch of people, but that's what we wanted to do."
Jax Taylor Enters Treatment Facility
In July, Jax shared helium was seeking in-patient attraction for intelligence health issues aft Brittany had begged him to spell to therapy for years.
The VPR alum chiefly credited lad Cruz arsenic the crushed helium saught nonrecreational help.
"Working connected getting amended for you buddy," Jax wrote successful an Instagram station July 31 alongside a photograph of him planting a buss connected the small one's cheek. "I emotion you."
Brittany Cartwright Files for Divorce
Seven months aft announcing their separation, Brittany made their breakup authoritative by filing for divorce successful August 2024. Citing “irreconcilable differences" successful ineligible docs obtained by E!, she requested superior ineligible and carnal custody of their lad Cruz and for Jax to beryllium granted kid visitation.
Jax Taylor Responds to Brittany Cartwright's Divorce Filing
Instagram/Brittany Cartwright
Brittany Cartwright Claps Back to Jax Taylor's Marriage Mistake
After Jax's conflicting effect to Brittany's divorcement petition led radical to question whether they were legally married, she acceptable the grounds straight .
“We are legally married," she commented connected E! News' Instagram station astir Jax's effect snafu. "I’m guessing paperwork is hard for immoderate people.”
(E! and Bravo are some portion of the NBCUniversal family)
(Originally published March 31, 2024 astatine 6 a.m. PT)
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