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Brittany Cartwright’s new love is getting tighter.
The Valley star and her lover Brandon Hanson went to Mexico not very long ago for a romantic beautiful trip full of PDA.
Brittany Cartwright—who is amid a divorce with Jax Taylor—had a beach sunset date with Brandon south of the border where the duo were kissing and hugging their way along with the shore. Holding hands and eye to eye, snapping selfies and taking strolls on the sand were a few things the beautiful pair did there.
Vanderpump Rules star looked terrific in a bikini and a sheath while Brandon wore his swim shorts and a tank top for the date.
The love feast of Brittany and Brandon comes only a few days after her Bravo costar Kristen Doute declared she had a new relationship. “She is that special person in her life I am totally and utterly crazy about,” Kristen said People Aug. 21. “She has been dating since her divorce and I have not given my consent to any of them.”
A Friend’s Seal of Approval
Not only did Kristen verify that the relationship was true, she went on to give it her energetic seal of approval, distinguishing clearly from the men that Brittany has been with before. In contrast to those who have been just ‘ok,’ she pointed out, this new man is ‘very wonderful and very cool,’ and contributes a ‘family-feeling’ to the relationship.
Kristen admitted that one of the biggest reasons that this relationship is so unique is that he is also a parent. She went on to say that the sharing of such moments made things ‘a lot easier and understandable,’ a natural bond and a level of mutual understanding from the very first stage.
Navigating the Dating World With New Eyes
Finding this new joy was, of course, not Brittany’s simple or straightforward journey. Brittany as she has notably shared, encountering the dating scene again while being a co-parent and a part of a public divorce was a bizarre and a hard time. “Dating after being apart and going through a divorce is really weird,” she confessed to Andy Cohen in July. “It’s not the easiest thing at all.”
Her past relationship experience has deeply changed how she deals with new ones, more than just the awkwardness of it all. She is now using the lessons from her previous relationship to a newer one by putting her guard up, being less trusting and looking out for any sign of toxicity in them.
“Because the red flags and all, etc. that I have to watch out for, you notice so many little things,” she said. Breaking the pattern that she now sees in herself requires a deliberate effort. “I don’t want to be in another situation like I was and just disregard, disregard, because I tend to see the good in people, and you always think that someone is going to become different.”
The timeline of the messy divorce drama between Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor
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.
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.
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.
The point of their breaking relationship was that they had been already broken and the cracks showed through their facade way before the altar. Jax Taylor’s cheating scandal was the turning point of the 2017 story when it was unmasked that he had deceived Brittany Cartwright with their ex-SUR coworker, Faith Stowers.
The entire unfortunate saga was publicly voiced on Vanderpump Rules; yet, the most significant thing was probably Jax’s own statement. In fact, he admitted this was not the first time he was caught, hence a previous habit of pretending to “deny, deny, deny” for several months only, a strategy that he conceded had not led him to success with.
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Understandably, a heartbroken Brittany broke up with him. But as in the case presented, they got together again just a few months later, decided to marry in 2020, and at last, they tied the knot.
The Inevitable Breaking Point
How to say it gently is the question, I suppose, but after years of turmoil, the point at which the metaphorical ‘breaking point’ could not be avoided reached its boiling point in February 2024. After being together for four years, Brittany made known that she and Jax parted ways. She was the first to break the news at their joint podcast where she talked about the challenging choice.
“Yes, in general, marriages are tough and I have had a very difficult year, particularly this past year,” she told her audience. She gave a statement confirming the rumors, saying, “Jax and I are taking time apart and I moved out for a while so that I could have some peace with my mental health.”
The future was not known, but her priorities were very clear. “I’m taking it one day at a time,” she said. “I don’t know what the future holds, but right now my focus is on being the best mom to Cruz.”
The Writing on the Wall
It was only one month after their divorce, when the real secret issues that caused their breakup came out in an embarrassing way. The premiere of their new show, The Valley, was not only Bravo’s first step to the public but also a visual metaphor of how the tiny cracks had changed into big ones in their marriage.
Without a doubt, the sneak peek was the point of contact with their problems, where Brittany was seen letting loose her tragic experience of a total lack of intimacy in the couple. “I don’t think he is attracted to me, we don’t have sex at all,” she said. Jax on the other hand only gave a tired and non-specific complaint, just stating, “It’s very difficult sometimes to be married,” not really comparable to the depth of Brittany’s confession.
Moreover, the moment of the bomb going off in the middle of the clip was when their co-star Janet Caperna pulled the trigger with the unexpected comment, “There is a rumor about Jax cheating online,” maybe implying that the old habits were not going to end.
Controlling the Narrative
As a result of the cheating rumors being made public by the trailer, Jax Taylor did not stick around to waste time, he immediately took action to quelch the rumors. Just a few days after the release of the preview, he came up with a much more straightforward version of events with less emphasis on the drama.
“We’re just having some communication troubles right now. That’s all, there’s nothing else,” he insisted at The Valley premiere party. Apart from that, he was very emphatic that there was “no cheating” and “no infidelity anywhere,” using the entire event to be a simple if “shocking” case of two people who just happen to be going through a rough patch of their relationship and, therefore, were trying to cast it as an easy going by product of life.
Moreover, he also went on to limit the break-up’s impact by giving the impression of an almost normal occurrence. “We see each other every single day,” he added. “The only thing that is different is we just don’t sleep under the same roof. That’s it,” he explained in an almost casual tone.
Brittany Cartwright Setting the Record Straight
As infidelity rumors were flying around, Brittany was not only silent but she also made it very clear that the divorce was not the result of the rumors. She outlined the truth, stating that it was not the presence of another woman that were the final breaking point, but just one, very heated argument.
“The very bad fight we got into made me decide to pack my stuff,” Brittany disclosed, indicating that she had been living alone in an Airbnb since the end of January.
She pointed out strongly that the choice was a deliberate one to save herself. “I am doing it for my sanity,” she conceded, “and I feel very empowered with my decision to leave for a while.”
A United Front for Their Son
Despite all the public drama and personal heartbreak of getting a divorce, Jax and Brittany have one thing in common: they have been a united front. They keep repeating that their son is, and always will be, the top priority.
“He is no. 1 and we both agree on that,” Jax said, pointing out that their concentration is on taking care of a stable and loving environment for their child. “It’s about ensuring that he is going to have two parents who love him to death and that he is going to have the best life, whether we are together or not.”
“He is no. 1 and we both agree on that,” Jax said, pointing out that their concentration is on taking care of a stable and loving environment for their child. “It’s about ensuring that he is going to have two parents who love him to death and that he is going to have the best life, whether we are together or not.”
Brittany also agreed with that point, stating that giving up her marriage was her decision only and it was Cruz who made her want to have a healthier atmosphere. “I just don’t want that for our son,” she said. “I don’t want him growing up thinking that it is normal to live in such a way.”
The Door Isn’t Completely Closed
Even with the pain of the breakup, Brittany had a point in time, in March, not to state that her marriage was a dead-end road. She acknowledged that ‘there is always hope,’ but it comes with a very big qualification: Jax has to be the one to do the hard work for a change first of all.
She came across as one who deeply loved and was true to the past, saying, “I think nobody will ever love Jax like I did.” It is a love that has undergone the ordeal of being tested over and over again. “I have, in all these years, been through a lot with him and I am at his side stuck in everything,” she explained further.
She feels the time of them being together might be at hand because of that long-standing bond but only “if he makes the changes that I’ve requested.” However, the focus at the moment is not on the “them.” It’s absolutely on her. “At this moment, I really need to figure myself out,” she said. It was a hard choice to leave, but it was also a great decision. “I felt very strong and very proud that I was able to go out and do what is right for me,” she declared, emphasizing that at the moment, “My mental health is very important to me.”
The Boss Weighs In
Lisa Vanderpump, their past boss, is the one who in no way would be shocked if she heard that Jax and Brittany had called it quits. She remarked that the separation was something that most people could predict from a long way off. With the first day of their wedding, she claimed, the main point of view was that it was going to be a short run.
However, she added that in her opinion, she is not in favor of subscribing to that kind of public judgment.
She does not know the exact reasons for the breakup, but still, she is very certain where the problem lies. She pointed out that her prediction would be the closest one to reality if it were connected to Jax only and ended with a familiar little piece of advice: “the factor of future behavior is generally past behavior.”
A Friend’s Honest Take
For her longtime friends, Scheana Shay, the separation was the right step and a good move. She unequivocally made it known that she thinks that Brit deserves better. In the final analysis, it all boils down to one simple, non-negotiable criterion: Brtiany deserves a partner who will respect her.
The Ball is in Jax’s Court
Scheana is not the only one to receive support from their nearest and dearest. Co-star Kristen Doute also spoke up saying she was proud of Brittany for standing up and prioritizing herself. Although Kristen is still hoping for a reunion, she gave Jax the power to decide: It is he who decides their relationship’s tomorrow, not Brittany’s.
Brittany Cartwright Accuses Jax Taylor of Mistreatment
On June 4th, the Valley season finale was the time when the private battle between Brittany and Jax that had been going on exploded out into the public in a powerful and long overdue face-off, Brittany not only confronted Jax but also made him answer for the very underhanded insults he was reporting without her knowledge.
In fact, it was their mutual friend, Kristen Doute, who accurately depicted the harshness of the alleged remarks by giving a detailed account of them in a number of pointed questions: “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?'”
An Unusual Pact
Talking about the possibility that either one of them would have a new romantic relationship, Brittany stated that it was not at all a surprise to her. In fact, she said it was an element of their pact since the very moment they decided to separate. “We actually agreed that it would be okay to see what the other people have to offer us if we wanted to test the waters with them,” she added.
She was very prompt in making it clear that this sort of understanding might be incomprehensible by those out there. She conceded that to people on the outside, it probably looks like “weird” or even “a little bit crazy,” but what they did, she insisted, was “what we wanted to do.”
A Long-Awaited Step Towards Change
It was a big and long-awaited moment when Jax Taylor revealed in July that he was going to an in-patient facility to take care of his mental health. After Brittany was reported to have been begging him for years to get therapy, this action signaled a major change in their narrative.
The Vanderpump Rules alum when asked about his motivation, stated that the decision was made only because of one person: his son, Cruz. He made the announcement in an emotional Instagram post, where he shared a photo of himself giving his son a kiss on the cheek. The caption was a warm, brief promise: “Working on getting better for you buddy. I love you.”
The Final Chapter
After seven months in a kind of purgatory, the separation was no longer in doubt. In August 2024, Brittany Cartwright went a step further and firmly declared her divorce from Jax Taylor by submitting court papers to end their marriage.
The papers were only citing the “irreconcilable differences” clause of the divorce agreement, but it was not really a farewell file; rather it was a declaration of her life moving on.
The papers were only citing the “irreconcilable differences” clause of the divorce agreement, but it was not really a farewell file; rather it was a declaration of her life moving on.
Her motion was not just about letting go of her past life; it was also a reflection of what mattered to her the most, she demanded sole parental and legal control over their son Cruz, at the same time guaranteeing that Jax had visitation rights, thus putting their stormy romance behind them once and for all.
A Confusing Final Twist
The overall condition became even weirder and confusing when it was Jax’s turn to respond. In a court document from October 2024, he appeared to be fully aligned with the Brittany’s point of view in the matter of setting no obstacle to sole legal and physical care of their son.
And then, there was this puzzling part. He confirmed their June 2019 marriage date in one segment of the document; however, he also ticked a box that said, “Respondent contends that the parties never legally married or registered in a domestic partnership.” His representative explained this as a contradictory filing, which was quickly sorted out due to a simple mistake of writing.
“While Jax is not always the most careful in filing forms that are usually done by legal professionals,” his spokesperson said, “he will be correcting those mistakes very quickly. “
The Final Word on a Bizarre Mistake
After Jax’s baffling and inconsistent divorce filing that led a flood of public conjecture about the legality of their marriage, Brittany had to intervene to stop the avalanche of rumors.
Instead of speculating, she clarified things by commenting on a news Instagram report about the incident. Her reply was quick, to the point, and very empathetic with the situation’s aggravation. “Yes, we are legally married,” she stated, before going on with another, humorous but poignant, metaphor of the situation: “I’m quite sure some people find doing the paperwork difficult.”
No Apologies for Moving On
While Brittney is still figuring out her new life as a single lady, she is very clear about one thing: she will not apologize for the way she moves on. Her recent hookup with someone from a place that maybe is considered as a no-go area: Jax’s friends has also been included in that.
Brittany went on to say that it was never discussed that dating in their social circle would be off-limits. She was very clear about it by saying, “We did not have a no dating in the friend group.” Not only that but she also vehemently denied the notion that it was deliberately done. “I didn’t think I was going to hook up with his friend. It wasn’t planned. I wasn’t trying to go after one of his friends. That’s not how it happened.”
Why then might she want to go for someone from her old life? For Brittany, it was mostly about trust and the fact that things were familiar in a world that she could find quite overwhelming and insincere. In a city like L.A., where it’s difficult to know who you can trust, choosing someone that she already knew was like taking the second safest option. “It was somebody that I felt like I knew,” she explained, adding that this was her first real experience being single in Los Angeles.
A Line Crossed
When Jax was asked about Brittany he was so outraged and shocked that he felt totally betrayed. He said that the news of her affair with his friend, Julian, was a “slap in the face.”
He was very prompt in pointing out that his issue was not her moving on as a whole. Actually, he insisted that she was going to be better off with someone else. His problem was the person, for him. “I don’t think I would have been bothered by it if it was somebody else that I didn’t know,” he let go of. “I want her to meet somebody, just not somebody I know.”
Furthermore, he turned to the event when he allegedly found out about the relationship, saying that he discovered that Brittany was sending naked photos to Julian and that he had “caught her in a couple of lies.”
A Bombshell Confession and a Guarded Response
In an unpredicted and astonishing disclosure, Jax Taylor confessed publicly for the first time in March 2025 that he has been addicted to cocaine for over 20 years. Alongside the confession, it was also the news that he was on the way to almost three months of sobriety from both substances and alcohol, marking a significant personal milestone.
While this moment was monumental for Jax, Brittany’s first reaction was that of caution and doubt, which comes naturally with her years of experience. In a timeframe average statement, she was optimistic that he might “knock off this addiction completely,” yet, she was brutally honest about her doubts. She went on to say, “His behaviors are still disturbing and his treatment plan seems to be the absolute minimum.”
Just like before, she was concerned about the health of their son and herself. “I’m trying to get through this the best way I can,” she admitted, “but every day is still a trial and very hard.” She unequivocally stated the “huge scope of harm” that Jax had caused and confessed that she had “very little trust in him at this point.” She rather looked forward not to the reunion of the two of them but to a better future for the son of Jax when she declared: “The only hope I have is that one day, he will be a better man for his son.”
A New Beginning with a Stamp of Approval
It looks like Brittany Cartwright has become one of her costar, Kristen Doute, recently announced that Brittany is in a new relationship. She went on to say that she is absolutely delighted with it.
Kristen explained that this love is the different world from those which Brit had after separating. She also acknowledged that she was not a fan of the other men, calling them just “fine, but not wonderful,” while she wholeheartedly supported this new partner. She was very enthusiastic about him, referring to him as “very wonderful and very cool” and highlighting that he has a “very family-feeling” emphasizing that he is a natural fit in Brittany’s life.
One of the most important aspects that make this relationship so full of promise is that they share a similar life experience: he is a father, too. Kristen mentioned that having this common ground makes maintaining relationships “a lot easier and understandable,” implying that they have established the foundation of mutual understanding right from the beginning.