Brittany Cartwright Comes to Co-Star’s Defense Amid Jax Taylor’s Criticism

Heavy/NBCUniversal Jax Taylor and the cast of "The Valley."

“The Valley” star Jax Taylor is opening up about his complicated relationship with his castmate, Kristen Doute.

On the March 19 episode of the “Bravo’s Hot Mic” podcast, alongside his estranged wife Brittany Cartwright, Taylor noted that he and Doute previously co-starred together on “Vanderpump Rules.” As fans are aware, Doute and Taylor also had a brief sexual relationship during “Vanderpump Rules” season 2, which aired in 2014.

Taylor stated that he has difficulty getting along with Doute as he does not understand her line of thinking.

“She gets under my skin a lot for a lot of different reasons. Her ways of thinking and ways of doing things — I don’t agree with. And she pisses off a lot of people. She’s hard-headed,” said Taylor.

Cartwright came to Doute’s defense and stated that she loves her. She also urged Taylor to admit that Doute is “a loyal friend.” Taylor clarified that he believed Doute has been loyal. He stated, however, that he does not enjoy spending a significant amount of time with her.

“I do love her and I would do anything for her. But I have to have small doses of her or I’m going to lose it,” said Taylor.

The 44-year-old then stated that he believed Doute “self-sabotages.”

“She just puts up this wall, like, ‘I’m going to do this. And it’s my way. And I know better than everybody else,'” said Taylor.

Cartwright interjected that she believed Taylor also shares those traits. He stated that he disagreed with his estranged wife’s assessment. When Taylor said that “there’s a lot of people who have issues with Kristen,” Cartwright encouraged him “to be nice.”

Brittany Cartwright & Kristen Doute Discussed Jax Taylor

In February 2024, Cartwright revealed that she and Taylor, the father of her nearly 2-year-old son, Cruz, have separated. The Kentucky native briefly discussed her split on the March 23 episode of Doute’s podcast, “Sex, Love, and What Else Matters.” She noted that she moved out of the Valley Village home she shares with Taylor to take some space away from her estranged husband.

“Still in my Airbnb. Just taking it every day at a time. It’s crazy. I will say that but it’s been a good break. It’s nice to have my space right now,” said Cartwright.

Doute then addressed rumors that Cartwright fabricated her relationship issues to increase interest in “The Valley.”

“There’s no cheating scandal. It’s not a PR stunt. This is real life,” said Doute.

Brittany Cartwright Opened up About Her Split

Cartwright also discussed her split on the March 21 episode of “On Air With Ryan Seacrest.” She stated that she has been “putting [herself] first.” She suggested that she had not done so since she embarked on her relationship with Taylor in 2015. The mother of one also stated that having a child changed her perspective of her marriage.

In addition, Cartwright shared that she wanted to go to therapy with Taylor to work on their relationship. According to the “Valley” star, Taylor has not made plans to attend a therapy session. She also stated she has taken issue with the fact that he has been “partying” and “staying out too late.”

“The Valley” airs on Tuesdays on Bravo.