Credit: Felix Kunze/Bravo
Brittany Cartwright opened up about her separation from Jax Taylor while attending Thursday’s premiere party for their upcoming Vanderpump Rules spinoff, The Valley.
Although Brittany, 35, didn’t want to specify the catalyst for the split, she confirmed Jax’s treatment was a major factor as she shared her thoughts on getting back together, described their marriage as unhealthy, and also said she and their 2-year-old son Cruz “deserve better.”
“Throughout the season, you’re going to see things here and there, and then it just got worse once the cameras went down,” Brittany explained to Entertainment Tonight on March 14. “I just kind of hit my breaking point, and I can only take so much after nine years.”
According to Brittany, her and Jax’s issues go back to years ago.
“I don’t know how much I can give away right now but just like being put down constantly,” she explained. “Honestly, I deserve to be lifted up like the queen that I am.”
While Brittany has spoken about a potential reconciliation with Jax and has a list of five things he would need to do for her to consider, she’s not sold on the idea of rekindling their romance.
“I go back and forth. I have my days where I’m like, of course, I would want to be — I have loved him and been through everything with him and stuck by his side through so much stuff,” she said. “But how much can one person take, you know? At the end of the day, Cruz is the most important thing in my life, and he is what matters.”
Jax is also uncertain about his future with Brittany but insists that their breakup was not fabricated for The Valley.
“I want to make it very clear that this is not a publicity stunt. I feel like this would be the most disgusting way to publicize your show, so I want to make that very clear, that’s not what’s going on here,” Jax said. “People go through tough things in their marriage, we’re trying to figure things out a little bit. But it doesn’t stop us working together, we’re adults.”
Leading up to their split, Jax said he and Brittany had “communication issues.” Still, when it comes to their current status, the two of them have been able to co-parent well.
“It doesn’t affect how we raise our child, it doesn’t affect our jobs — we’re a brand, we do things together, we’re adults,” he explained. “We just gotta work on marriage a little bit.”
After moving out of the $1.9 million home she and Jax bought in 2019, Brittany is residing in an Airbnb with Cruz.
“Something like clicked in my head, and I was like ‘I need to step away from this situation. This is not healthy. This is not a good situation. My son deserves better. I deserve better,’” Brittany explained to PEOPLE of her decision to move out. “I feel a little bit of relief. I needed this space.”
As Brittany continues “working on” herself, noting that her marriage was something she “needed to step back from,” she too denied the breakup was for the show.
“I’m all about family. I’m all about marriage. I’ve been about that my entire life,” she stated.
Meanwhile, Jax noted that he and Brittany thought the separation was “best for [their] family” because they have “been going through some things for a while now.”
“I’m not sure what the future holds for this. But as of right now, this is just the best-case scenario,” he shared, adding that they see each other every day and continue to run their businesses together.
“Nothing has really changed other than, we’re not sleeping in the same bed right now,” he revealed. “We can still be together. We’re just kind of taking a breather.”
The Valley season one premieres on Tuesday, March 19, on Bravo.
