Jax Taylor says separation from Brittany Cartwright isn't a "publicity stunt" for The Valley

Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright have addressed online speculation surrounding their separation news as a publicity stunt for The Valley.

The Vanderpump Rules alums confirmed they were living apart after four years of marriage, a few weeks ahead of The Valley’s release. The brand-new Bravo spin-off, set to release this spring, will likely document their tumultuous relationship.

During an interview with People, Jax Taylor highlighted that splitting ways was the best decision for their family as the couple hit a rough patch in their marriage. He said:

“We decided to take a little bit of a breather. I'm not sure what the future holds for this. But as of right now, this is just the best-case scenario, but this is not a publicity stunt."

Though they are living separately, Jax and Brittany see each other daily as they cordially run their businesses together. He emphasized, "We can still be together. We're just kind of taking a breather."

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The Valley star Brittany Cartwright doubles down on husband’s claim

Brittany Cartwright agreed with Jax Taylor, confirming the timing of their separation has nothing to do with The Valley premiere. The reality star insisted the split was “real.” She told the publication:

"If people actually have watched me over the years and know my personality, they would know this is not something I would do for our show. Like, I'm all about family. I'm all about marriage. I've been about that my entire life. So this is something real that I really needed to step back from.”

Brittany Cartwright also reportedly revealed she is living in an Airbnb apartment with her 2-year-old son Cruz. She admitted to reaching a “breaking point” in her relationship with Jax, insisting she needed to step away from the situation.

According to her, prolonging her stay would have been detrimental to her and Cruz’s health. “This is not not healthy. This is not a good situation. My son deserves better. I deserve better,” said The Valley star. In the time she’s living apart from Jax, Brittany suggested she is working on herself. The reality star continued:

"I feel a little bit of relief. I needed this space."

Initially, Brittany alluded to her marriage hitting a rough patch without exclusively announcing the split on her When Reality Hits podcast on February 22. The official split announcement came only a week later, wherein The Valley actor noted:

“Jax and I are taking time apart and I made the decision to move into another home to take some space for the sake of my mental health."

Brittany said opening up about her marital issues was tough for her, however, she decided to be public about the separation to stay true to her fans. It is important to know that the married couple has only confirmed they’re living apart. Talks of legal separation haven’t been brought to the fore by both parties. Brittany revealed on the podcast:

“I don’t know what the future holds, but right now my focus is on being the best mom to Cruz and I love you guys. Pray for us and everything will be just fine. We’re good.”

The pair, who met in 2015, will next share the next space in The Valley alongside Jesse Lally, Kristen Doute, Danny Booko, Luke Broderick, and Jason Caperna. Brittany and Jax’s engagement was made public in 2018 following their brief split over Jax’s infidelity scandal.

After going through ups and downs, they finally got married in June 2019 and subsequently welcomed their only son, Cruz Michael Cauchi, in April 2021.

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The Valley is scheduled to premiere on March 19 exclusively on Bravo TV.