Months before Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright announced their separation, the Vanderpump Rules alums were pumping the brakes on the possibility of a potential divorce.
In fact, the now-estranged couple got brutally honest about their relationship problems during The Valley's April 16 episode, which was filmed last summer, but agreed divorce was off the table. After Brittany enjoyed a girls night out with her Bravo costars, Jax confronted the 35-year-old for coming home hungover.
"I don't understand why you can't go out and have a couple drinks," he told her. "Why do you have to go out to the point where you have to throw up?"
However, she called out his hypocrisy, firing back, "That's exactly what you do too."
In a confessional, Jax—who shares 3-year-old son Cruz with Brittany—admitted, "I'm a little worried because, not only is she my wife, she's a mother, and we need ya. If you keep this up, you're gonna destroy your body. There's other ways to have a good time. We live in California, you can smoke a joint. You can do other things."
Jax then asked his wife of four years if she told her Valley castmates about their issues in the bedroom. And she didn't hold back with her answer.
"Everybody went around and said when's the last time they had sex," Brittany recounted, "and I said like a month and a half ago."
While Jax cringed at the admission, Brittany encouraged the 44-year-old to "step up the game" when it came to their intimacy. "You can at least try a little bit," she shared. "Make me feel sexy or something a little bit. It doesn't make me feel like you're attracted to me."
"I need more physical touch," she added. "I need words of affirmation."
Jax promised he'd try to make a better effort and assured the Kentucky native breaking up wasn't an option for them.
"That 'D' word does not exist in my family," he explained. "We don't do that."
Brittany agreed, "I love you to pieces and we ain't going nowhere. We're thick as thieves over here."
See Jax and Brittany's marriage troubles continue to play out when The Valley airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo. And keep reading for a full timeline of Jax and Brittany's breakup.
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."
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family)