Brittany Cartwright Discusses Co-Parenting with Jax Following Their Son’s Autism Diagnosis
Brittany Cartwright prioritizes her son, which is why she wants to ensure he is in “good hands” with his father, Jax Taylor.
After announcing her 3-year-old son Cruz’s autism diagnosis, Cartwright, 36, reflected on her separation from Taylor, 45, sharing with People on Thursday, April 10, “Things got so bad; he was incredibly aggressive and would yell at me in front of our son [Cruz]. I had to take Cruz out of the house.”
Cartwright expressed that she had “enough” of Taylor’s behavior associated with his substance abuse issues. Now that she has moved on, she is making sure that Cruz adjusts well to the new circumstances.
“I’m putting my foot down, and ensuring he’s doing what he needs to do: drug testing, everything,” she stated. “As much as Jax and I are not getting along, I want Cruz to grow up with his dad in his life. So, if he can stay consistent, that’s crucial for coparenting.”
Despite occasional conflicts with Taylor, Cartwright wants him to remain a part of Cruz’s life.
“He’s caused a lot of damage, and Cruz and I weren’t enough for him to seek help for a long time,” she remarked. “I want his dad to be involved in his life, but it’s tough when trust is lacking. It will take time to rebuild that trust, making coparenting quite difficult. I just hope and pray that he will overcome this eventually, but I’m not sure yet.”
Bravo viewers got to know Taylor and Cartwright’s relationship on Vanderpump Rules. The couple captured their tumultuous journey towards happiness, including their 2019 wedding being filmed for the show. They announced their exit from Vanderpump Rules in 2020. After a hiatus from reality television, they welcomed their son Cruz in 2021.
Taylor and Cartwright re-emerged in the spotlight on Bravo’s The Valley, which premiered in 2024, shortly after their separation announcement. In June 2024, Taylor enrolled in a 30-day treatment program to address ongoing mental health issues, but Cartwright subsequently filed for divorce. After hinting at deeper struggles, Taylor disclosed that he had sought rehab twice for cocaine addiction.
“I’ve been in and out of cocaine use for a while. I didn’t use it daily, and there were months I would take off,” he disclosed to Us Weekly in March. “Then I would use it like a week here, two or three times a month. It escalated, especially when the divorce started, and I felt like it was becoming recreational.”
Taylor emphasized that he is continuously working on himself.
“I’ve been dealing with various issues as I mask loneliness,” he added. “I’m using drugs and alcohol to cope with my texting behavior. This is a slow process, which is challenging for me since I often look for a quick fix. Unfortunately, this is a long journey requiring consistent effort. I’m not accustomed to that.”
Taylor concluded: “It’s not going to work like that. That’s not how addiction, illness, and mental health function. People are saying, ‘Jax, you’ve caused a lot of harm. A lot.’ And this isn’t just going to disappear. People have had enough.”
Cartwright, on her part, shared their son’s autism diagnosis earlier this week.
“It can be challenging because I’ve never heard him say, ‘I love you.’ However, he is so affectionate and shows me his love daily. He’s such a mommy’s boy,” she revealed to People. “He crawled early, walked early, and was talking, saying ‘Mommy’ and ‘Daddy.’ As he approached two years old, we began to notice regression in his speech. He nearly stopped talking altogether.”
