Heavy/Peacock Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor and their son Cruz on 'The Valley."
Brittany Cartwright said her son, Cruz Michael Cauchi, didn’t love filming “The Valley” – at first.
In a March 2024 interview, the former “Vanderpump Rules” star admitted her 2-year-old son was hesitant when they started filming the family-centered Bravo spinoff.
Speaking with The Daily Dish, Cartwright revealed that her toddler broke down in tears during the first day of filming at their Valley Village home, although she told the outlet the breakdown was “very rare” for her usually happy child. “I think like the first day we started filming, he was a little overwhelmed because there was like 10 people in our house with cameras, and sound and, you know, all the things,” Cartwright shared.
After a mini-meltdown, Cruz was fine, Cartwright added. “After that, he just like went right into it, like the rest of us, We forget that they are even there and, you know, it was fun,” she said.
It’s unclear how often Cruz will appear on “The Valley.” The series focuses on a friend group of five couples (Cartwright and her husband Jax Taylor, Jesse and Michelle Lally, Danny and Nia Booko, Jason and Janet Caperna, and Kristen Doute and her boyfriend Luke Broderick) as they “trade bottle service in West Hollywood for baby bottles in the Valley,” per a teaser from Bravo. Several of the cast’s children appeared in the premiere episode during a birthday party at Cartwright’s house, including Cruz.
Jax Taylor Revealed Cruz’s Favorite Thing About Filming ‘The Valley’
PeacockCruz Cauchi
Once Cruz became comfortable with the filming setup, he became fascinated with the camera guys and crew, his dad told The Daily Dish. “He was always behind the camera watching the scenes when they do the playbacks and all that,” Taylor said. “He was more into the production part, he was sitting with the crew, he loved it. Craft services was probably his favorite thing.”
“The Valley” was Taylor’s idea, which he pitched to Bravo producer Alex Baskin in 2021, the year after he and his wife left “Vanderpump Rules.” On the January 23, 2024, episode of his podcast, “When Reality Hits With Jax and Brittany,” Taylor said Baskin loved the idea of following Taylor and Cartwrght’s new life as parents with their real-life friend group in the San Fernando Valley.
Jax Taylor & Brittany Cartwright Are Excited for Fans to Get to Know Cruz on ‘The Valley’
Taylor has long said he wants to move out of Los Angeles to give his son a normal childhood out of the spotlight. But in November 2021, Taylor told “Access” he would be “open” to returning to TV in a show about parenting or the life he lives “right now.”
“I think it would be awesome for people to see this chapter with Cruz,” Cartwright added.
Now that dream has come true, but in the process, Cartwright and Taylor have separated. Cartwright has moved to an Airbnb with Cruz. “At this point, Cruz is the most important thing, he’s all that matters,” Cartwright told People magazine in an interview. “My son deserves better. I deserved it better,” she added of her marital problems.
Still, Cartwright is thrilled for fans to see her and Taylor in their role as parents to Cruz in scenes that were filmed before the split.
“I’m excited for everybody to see us as parents because the last time we were on the show, it was our wedding,” she told Today in March 2024. “A lot has changed since then. It’s a lot more family-oriented than what we’re used to. I think that’s going to be a different view on our lives, and I’m just excited for all of that.”
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