In a recent interview, Brittany Cartwright discussed the reasons behind the breakup of her relationship with Taylor, who she met on the reality TV show “Vanderpump Rules.”
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Brittany Cartwright Says She Was Blinded By Love
During her conversation with PEOPLE, Cartwright looked back on the challenging years she shared with Taylor, a journey well-documented on the popular show.
Throughout their run on the series, the couple faced several challenges, including Taylor’s cheating scandals and his emotional breakdowns.
Despite facing criticism online for her current stance against Taylor, Cartwright admitted that she was unable to see past her love for him at the time.
“Nobody could ever say that I wasn’t madly in love with that man because I was. The point is that I did leave him, and I’m so much stronger and happier now. If I can help one woman get out of a toxic relationship, then I have won,” she said.
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Cartwright Says Taylor Was Aggressive, Leading Her To Split From Him
For those who may be unfamiliar, Cartwright announced her split from Taylor in August 2024. During her chat with PEOPLE, the reality star said part of what led to her divorce filing was how “aggressive” he started being toward her.
“It got so bad, and he was just so aggressive and horrible to me, yelling at me in front of our son [Cruz],” she said. “I had to take Cruz out of the house.”
Later, Cartwright admitted that following their separation, Taylor “spiraled out of control,” which she knew there was no coming back from.
“There was no possible way that we were going to meet back in the middle again,” she said.
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Brittany Cartwright Needs Taylor To Be In A Good Space To Be Around Their Son
In March 2025, Taylor opened up about his decades-long addiction to cocaine on Bravo’s “Hot Mic” podcast.
During his conversation, he described himself as “an addict” before saying he started using the drug when he was “23 … and now I’m 45.”
In a separate interview, the villainous reality star, who joined the Bravo family in 2013, said he made an effort to get sober not for himself but for his son.
“I want my son one day to be like, ‘My dad….there was something wrong with him, and he fixed himself; this is why he’s here today,” he said.
Cartwright, 36, reflected on Taylor’s sobriety journey, which he said is now over 130 days, and explained how she hopes he follows through with his plan.
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“He’s done so much damage, and me and Cruz weren’t enough for him to get help for a very long time,” she said. “I want his dad to be in his life, but it’s just really hard when you can’t trust somebody. It’s going to take me a long time to regain trust in him, and that makes co-parenting extremely hard. I can just hope and pray that one day he will completely knock this because I’m not sure yet.”
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Brittany Cartwright Is Standing Up To Jax Taylor
In the meantime, Cartwright hinted that she’s standing up to Taylor and making sure he’s “doing what he needs to do,” including “drug testing.”
“As much as me and Jax are not getting along, I want Cruz to grow up with his dad in his life. So if he can stay consistent, I think that’s very important in co-parenting,” she added.
Cartwright And Taylor’s Son Was Diagnosed With Autism
Ahead of season 2 of “The Valley,” which will showcase more of Taylor and Cartwright’s marital woes, the Bravo veteran revealed she and Taylor’s 3-year-old son was diagnosed with autism.
Cartwright explained that their lives would look a “little bit different” moving forward, but she’s more than ready to support him as he continues to age.
“He is my better half. He is my little partner in crime. He is everything to me, and even though he can’t talk, I know everything that he wants, everything that he needs. We’re just so synced, it’s incredible,” she said.
On Instagram, Taylor posted a slide show of him and his son together. In the caption, he told his followers about how “proud” he was to be in Cruz’s life and that their journey as a family would help others “affected by autism.”
