Originally appeared on E! Online
One of Vanderpump Rules' longest lasting couples is no more—officially.
In February, Brittany Cartwright shocked Bravo fans when she announced that she and Jax Taylor had separated after four years of marriage and nearly a decade together.
"Yes, marriages in general are very hard and I've had a particularly rough year this past year," the Kentucky native shared on their When Reality Hits podcast. "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 made it clear there was no reconciliation in sight by filing for divorce from Jax, E! News confirmed Aug. 27.
According to legal docs, Brittany—who shares 3-year-old son Cruz with the fellow reality star—cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, which she dated as Jan. 24. Brittany is seeking primary legal and physical custody of Cruz.
And earlier this week, Jax finally responded to Brittany's petition and asked the courts to give her full custody of their son, according to legal docs obtained by E! News.
Vanderpump Rules' Jax Taylor & Brittany Cartwright: Romance Rewind
As for what relationship problems ultimately forced Brittany to walk away from Jax?
Many assumed it was cheating on Jax's part given his history of infidelity. Meanwhile, some of their Vanderpump Rules costars—including Scheana Shay and Lisa Vanderpump—have weighed in to give their opinions on what caused the split.
However, Brittany making their breakup official with a divorce filing isn't totally a surprise to Bravo fans, who watched the exes' marriage crumble during season one of The Valley earlier this year.
Jax even recently sought in-patient treatment for mental health struggles after Brittany revealed the "horrible" insults he called her behind closed doors during the Bravo series' June 4 finale. However, the efforts clearly couldn't fix former couple's relationship issues.
In the wake of Jax's recent response to Brittany's divorce filing—plus his confusing remark stating they were never actually married—keep reading for a full timeline of her and Jax's breakup, plus everything they've said about what caused their separation.
Jax Taylor's First Cheating Scandal
Years before they even got married, Jax Taylor cheated on Brittany Cartwright in 2017 when he hooked up with former SUR waitress Faith Stowers.
"This isn't my first time being caught cheating," Jax admitted at the time as the drama played out on Vanderpump Rules. "In the past, I've gone through months and months of deny, deny, deny, and that didn't work for me."
But while a devasted Brittany broke up with him, they got back together months later and eventually wed in 2020.
Brittany Cartwright Announces Separation
Fast forward to February 2024, Brittany announced she and Jax—who share 2-year-old son Cruz—had separated after four years of marriage.
"Yes, marriages in general are very hard and I've had a particularly rough year this past year," the Kentucky native shared on their When Reality Hits podcast. "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."
"I'm taking one day at a time," Brittany added. "I don't know what the future holds, but right now my focus is on being the best mom to Cruz."
Signs Their Marriage Was Imploding
One month later, the cracks in the couple's relationship became much more apparent when Bravo released the trailer for its new series The Valley.
"I don't feel like he's attracted to me, we don't have sex ever," Brittany admitted in the March 11 preview before Jax added, "It's so hard to be married sometimes."
Plus, costar Janet Caperna teased in the clip, "There's a rumor about Jax cheating online."
Jax Taylor Addresses Cheating Rumors
However, Jax slammed allegations of infidelity days after the trailer release.
"We're just having a little communication issues right now. That's all, there's nothing else," he exclusively told E! News March 14 at The Valley premiere party. "There's no cheating. There's no infidelity anywhere. It's just communication. I know it's shocking, but people sometimes just don't get along and that's life."
"We see each other every single day," he added. "The only thing that's different is we just don't sleep under the same roof. That's it."
Brittany Cartwright Weighs in on Infidelity Claims
Despite rumors, Brittany confirmed Jax cheating did not cause their breakup and shared the true timeline of their separation.
"We got into a very bad fight and I decided to pack up my stuff," the 35-year-old exclusively told E! News March 18, "and I've been staying in an Airbnb since January 24."
"I'm doing it for my mental space," she added, "and I feel very strong with my decision to get out for a while."
Jax Taylor & Brittany Cartwright Are Putting Son Cruz First
Despite their personal drama, the estranged couple agreed on one thing: They are doing what's best for 2-year-old son.
"He's no. 1 and we both agree on that," Jax told E!. "It's about knowing he's got two loving parents that love him to death and he's gonna have the best life possible, whether we are together or not."
As for their increased fighting, Brittany agreed, "I just don't want that for our son. I don't want him growing up thinking it's normal to live like that."
Brittany Cartwright Shares Hope for Possible Reconciliation
Brittany admitted in March that "there's always hope," but she just needs Jax to put in the work.
"I don't think anybody will ever love Jax the way I've loved Jax," Brittany told E!. "Over all these years, I've been through so much with him and I'm stuck by his side through everything. So I think that if he makes certain changes that I've asked, maybe we could get back together. But right now, I just really need to figure out myself. I felt really strong and really proud of myself for being able to step out and do what's right for me. My mental health is super important."
Lisa Vanderpump Weighs In
One person who wasn't so shocked by Jax and Brittany's separation? Their former SUR boss Lisa Vanderpump.
"Everybody predicted that when they got married," the Real Housewives alum shared with E!. "They said, 'Oh this won't last long,' but I kind of never liked to draw conclusions."
"I don't know what the reason was," she added, "but I imagine it was probably something to do with Jax's bad behavior. I'm not sure, but the indicator of future behavior is normally past behavior."
Scheana Shay Is Team Brittany Cartwright
"I think it’s for the best," their longtime friend Scheana Shay told E! News March 23 of the split. "I think she deserves better and she deserves a partner who’s going to treat her with respect."
Kristen Doute Supports Brittany Cartwright's Decision
And the couple's The Valley costar Kristen Doute agreed with Scheana.
"I'm proud of Brittany for setting boundaries for making the choice for her," Kristen admitted. "But I'm very hopeful that they can work this out. But that's on Jax, that's not on her."
Brittany Cartwright Accuses Jax Taylor of Mistreatment
During The Valley's June 4 season finale, Brittany confronted Jax about insults he allegedly hurled at her behind closed doors.
As costar Kristen Doute recounted, "Does he say, 'I know I treat you like s—t. 'I know I'm mean. I know I've called you fat and I've told you you're f--king lazy and that you're not going to have any friends if you guys break up?'"
How Brittany Cartwright Feels About Jax Dating Again
"We said that, going into this, that we could test the waters with other people if we wanted to," Brittany exclusively told E! News in June. "I know that seems weird, it might be a little crazy for a lot of people, but that's what we wanted to do."
Jax Taylor Enters Treatment Facility
In July, Jax shared he was seeking in-patient treatment for mental health issues after Brittany had begged him to go to therapy for years.
The VPR alum mainly credited son Cruz as the reason he saught professional help.
"Working on getting better for you buddy," Jax wrote in an Instagram post July 31 alongside a photo of him planting a kiss on the little one's cheek. "I love you."
Brittany Cartwright Files for Divorce
Seven months after announcing their separation, Brittany made their breakup official by filing for divorce in August 2024. Citing “irreconcilable differences" in legal docs obtained by E!, she requested primary legal and physical custody of their son Cruz and for Jax to be granted child visitation.
Jax Taylor Responds to Brittany Cartwright's Divorce Filing
Brittany Cartwright Claps Back to Jax Taylor's Marriage Mistake
After Jax's conflicting response to Brittany's divorce petition led people to question whether they were legally married, she set the record straight.
“We are legally married," she commented on E! News' Instagram post about Jax's response snafu. "I’m guessing paperwork is hard for some people.”
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