Brittany Cartwright says Jax Taylor’s lack of interest in sex led to separation: ‘Should never happen in a marriage’
Brittany Cartwright is dishing on the reasons she decided to separate from her husband, Jax Taylor — including his disinterest in sex.
“We’ve been together nine years, and people stop appreciating and take you for granted after some time — and that should never happen in a marriage,” Cartwright told Page Six exclusively Thursday night at the premiere party for her new show, “The Valley,” at Jax’s Studio City in California.
“So that’s what I’m trying to get back,” she continued, “and if it doesn’t come back, then we won’t get back together.”
In the trailer for the Bravo reality series — an extension of the “Vanderpump Rules” universe that also stars former SURver Kristen Doute — Cartwright, 35, tells her castmate Janet Caperna that she feels Taylor, 44, is no longer “attracted” to her.
“We don’t have sex ever,” she says in frustration.
Cartwright told us Thursday that the dry spell took a toll on her self-esteem, but she learned to rely on herself to rebuild her confidence.
“I think I just had to be like, ‘I’m hot as hell, and I’m not going to listen to this bulls–t anymore,’” she said before jokingly quoting her famous “rot in hell” catchphrase from “Pump Rules” Season 6, which aired in 2017.
“You can rot in hell!” she said with a laugh. “I’m sorry.”
Cartwright announced last month on the pair’s podcast, “When Reality Hits with Jax and Brittany,” that they were “taking time apart” after five years of marriage.
She told Page Six at the “Valley” bash that she moved into an Airbnb in January to take some “sweet space” for herself.
Cartwright — who shares son Cruz, 2, with Taylor — clarified, however, that a lack of intimacy was not the only contributing factor in the split.
“I asked him to do little things — four little things — and … go to therapy was one of them. He hasn’t done that yet,” she shared. “So there’s little things that I’ve asked him to do. We’ll see if he does it all, but we’ll also see if it changes anything.”
When asked why Taylor has refused to attend therapy so far, Cartwright acknowledged that he has “been burned by therapists” in the past.
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“So he’s worried about that, and I understand that, for sure. But there’s certain things that we could work on together,” she noted.
“I’m not saying I’m perfect by any means, but I had to step out and take care of myself and my son, obviously.”
Cartwright said Cruz is acclimating well to the new dynamic, dividing his time between two homes.
“He’s just fine. He’s so happy. I feel like whenever he’s with Mama, he’s so happy, whenever he’s with Daddy … he’s fine, he’s doing great,” she raved of her little boy.
“That’s what matters more than anything else in the whole wide world is him, obviously.”
“The Valley” documents Cartwright’s desire to expand her family. However, in an extended sneak peek for the show, Taylor does not seem ready to welcome another child.
“Bringing in another human being is worrisome to me,” the former model tells his spouse in a tense scene, to which she tearfully replies, “I live for my kid.”
This disagreement added to their marital strife and their eventual split, according to Cartwright.
“That’s a whole ‘nother thing that you’ll see play throughout the season and a whole ‘nother reason why we are where we are now,” she teased to us.
Whether or not it’s with Taylor, Cartwright shared that she is determined to give Cruz a sibling — and is even willing to do so solo via a sperm donor like her good pal Lala Kent.
“I would so go the Lala route if I needed to. I admire her for that. I want more kids; I want Cruz to have a sibling. I come from a family of five, so I’ve got three brothers and a sister, and I love that big family dynamic,” she shared.
“I don’t want a million kids, but I at least want one more child. I’m only 35, so I could still maybe meet somebody if it goes that route. I don’t know. I’m not saying it would. Maybe if me and Jax got back together, we could still have another one. If not, I’ll go the Lala route.”
Taylor, for his part, told Page Six at the event that he is unsure about his future with Cartwright.
“I have no idea. It’s a busy time for us right now; we have a lot going on in our lives. Who knows? Nothing’s changed,” he said. “The only difference is we don’t sleep under the same roof.”
The bar owner said they still “see each other every day” despite the breakup.
“There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by since the separation that we don’t really see each other unless I’m working or she’s working,” he noted. “But we’re co-parenting.”
Taylor reiterated that infidelity did not play a part in Cartwright making the call to separate.
“I know that everybody is out there saying I cheated. That’s not true. It’s just a communication thing. Believe it or not, people can separate [for reasons] other than cheating,” he told us.
“I know it’s crazy, but people can not get along and still be OK, still be co-parenting and running businesses together. It can happen, and we’re one of those people who are making that happen.”
Though Cartwright unveiled several reasons for their split, Taylor chalked it up to “a little bit of communication problems.” He added, “That’s really all I want to say about it.”
Notably, the duo posed next to each other on the red carpet at one point during the “Valley” premiere.
Despite any lingering issues in their relationship, Cartwright emphasized that she will always have love for Taylor.
“I very much love him,” she said, “but I hit my breaking point a little bit.”
“The Valley” — starring Cartwright, Taylor, Doute, Luke Broderick, Danny and Nia Booko, Jesse and Michelle Lally, Jason and Janet Caperna, Jasmine Goode and Zack Wickham — premieres Tuesday, March 19, following a new episode of “Vanderpump Rules” on Bravo.
