It wasn’t ever hard to reason that marrying Jax Taylor wouldn’t be a walk in the park. The villain of Vanderpump Rules was always the black sheep of the group. Throughout his time on VPR, viewers watched him lie and manipulate his way through his friends. If he was dating, he was also cheating. But somewhere along the way, Brittany Cartwright fell in love with him. Fans were surprised when the couple made it to their one-year anniversary, but the news of their split was anything but a revelation. However, Jax is determined to be the best ex-husband he can be.
Jax Taylor made mistakes
In his first interview since being released from his inpatient facility, Jax shared his side of the divorce. Clearly, The Valley star was nervous, as his voice was shaking while he did his first podcast as a single man. Jax started by saying, “It’s been a really, really, really, really rough week. Anyone that has gone through a divorce will understand how difficult this is. Brittany did file for divorce. I understand why she did, and I agree that this is the right decision for our family.” After five years of married life, Brittany cited irreconcilable differences and requested full custody of their son.
Even though Jax hasn’t addressed the custody battle yet, the reality TV star shared, “I will always love and care for Brittany. She’s the mother of my beautiful son. All I want for us is to be amicable co-parents and even, hopefully, really, really good friends one day. I know I’m an amazing father, and I know that I will make an excellent ex-husband.” The sentiment seemed to come too little too late as fans wondered just how he could be the perfect ex-spouse when he struggled to be a good husband.
Jax Taylor can grow up
During Season 1 of The Valley, it was easy to note Jax’s shortcomings. He was filmed following his own passions, like opening up his bar, even though Brittany had reservations. He was also caught talking down to Brittany a lot. Now, Jax clearly wasn’t the husband of the year. But if he actively made some changes he could be a good ex-partner. Jax would need to open up the lines of communication with Brittany. He would have to embrace her ideas as well as his own.
I wonder if he will be able to provide better support from a distance, too. During Season 1, it felt like Jax was often floundering whenever Brittany would try to bring up an issue. But now the pressure is essentially off to try to save their marriage so they can work on being co-parents and friends. Jax will have to learn to be selfless instead of selfish. If the former model can put aside his petty squabbles, I do believe there is a positive future ahead for the former lovers. All Brittany ever seemed to be asking for was an equal stance in their marriage. With the divorce, there is no choice but to hear her side.
Jax Taylor opens up about treatment
During his podcast, Jax shared more information about his stint in the treatment center. The reality TV star admitted that asking for help was intimidating. “But it really, really needed to happen. It’s something I’ve been holding onto for many, many years,” he noted. Jax added, “I knew something wasn’t right with me, and I was really, really scared to find out what it was. I’ve known for years that there’s been something wrong, but I just didn’t want to know. During my stay, I kind of found out a lot about myself. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I now have a little bit better understanding of my mental health struggles. I’ve been put on some serious medication that’s actually been helping me out a lot.”
Jax is well on his way to healing and becoming the best version of himself. The Valley star detailed his stay by adding, “Those 30 days were an incredible experience. My days were very, very structured, and I realized that’s something I really needed in my life. I woke up every morning. I had four to five eggs for breakfast, had some oatmeal, and took my medication. Was at the gym by 8:00, and then I would be back around 9:30, 10:00 for my therapy sessions. And I would do that usually for about seven hours.”
Here’s hoping all the therapy pays off and Jax becomes the best ex-husband anyone has ever seen.
The Valley is streaming on Peacock.
