Jax Taylor Admits He’s “Very Aware” He’s a “Little Aggressive” Toward Brittany Cartwright
Jax claimed he and Brittany didn't believe in divorce, while one cast member said he was in a "place of denial."
It was choppy waters for the men of The Valley recently, and we don’t just mean on their fishing trip on Big Bear Lake.
Talks of marital troubles came to the surface as Jax Taylor, Jesse Lally, Danny Booko, and Jason Caperna set aboard a fishing vessel as Janet Caperna’s Babymoon getaway continued, as seen in Season 1, Episode 10. The moment came as audiences watched Jax and Jesse’s marriages to Brittany Cartwright and Michelle Saniei Lally, respectively, come apart at the seams before both couples announced their separations after filming ended.
“We’re going through a lot right now because we have multiple businesses that are going on and we have a child,” Jax explained to the others. “We’re going to drive each other crazy, that’s just normal.”
Jax, who recently cited his “short temper” on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as a significant contributor to his crumbling marriage, doubled down on statements that his reactivity was problematic.
Jax Taylor Admits What He Did Wrong in His Relationship
The Jax’s Studio City bar owner readily admitted to the men that he was no angel in his and Brittany’s deteriorating relationship.
“Do I tend to get a little aggressive at times? Yeah, of course. It’s just me [and] who I am,” Jax told his friends. “But I reel it in; I’m very aware of what I’m doing; I’m very aware of how I deliver things.”
Jax’s response came after castmate and longtime friend Jesse gave his opinion that Jax felt the need to prove himself.
“I think you’re a fighter. I think you’ve always been fighting,” Jesse told his pal. “I think you’ve been fighting to prove yourself for a long time, and you don’t need to prove yourself to your wife.”
Jesse — who announced his separation from Michelle ahead of The Valley premiere just weeks after Jax and Brittany announced their breakup — also offered his advice to Danny about his marriage to Nia Booko, claiming Danny was “completely full of sh-t” because Nia “wears the pants” in the relationship, which (at least according to Jesse) damaged Danny’s confidence.
“First of all, no,” Danny corrected him before Jax interjected with his thoughts.
“My wife wears the pants,” Jax said in Danny’s defense.
Jesse, however, wasn’t so sure.
“I don’t think your wife wears the pants,” Jesse said. “Every time she tries to put the pants on… you pull them down and get in a fight with her, and I think you’re being Jax with your wife.”
When asked for clarification, Jesse said Jax tended to be “difficult.”
“If she says the sky is red, you’re like, ‘You’re an idiot,’” Jesse continued.
Jax denied ever calling his wife such a name, while Jesse corrected himself to mean that it was reflective of Jax’s actions.
Danny suggested — as Janet Caperna had earlier in the episode — that Jax try “a third person” (i.e., a marriage counselor) to help the now-estranged couple sort out their problems. It’s worth noting that since filming wrapped, Brittany has been very public about Jax’s refusal to attend couples therapy.
Jesse, however, interpreted Danny’s suggestion as Jax bringing Jesse in for help, which confused the others.
“We’re not asking you,” Danny maintained. “You are the wrong person.”
Here's what you missed on Bravo:
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Jax Taylor Responds to Katie Maloney’s Bar Shade: “She’s Ariana’s Accessory”
Michelle Lally Finally Clarifies *That* Texting Rumor: “I Met a Celebrity..”
“I’m never gonna ask you for any marital advice. Ever. Ever, ever, ever,” Jax told Jesse. “I love you to death, but Jesus Christ, your marriage is on the fence, too.”
The word “too” suggested to Jason that Jax was admitting his marriage was worse than he led on, prompting the former Vanderpump Rules cast member to backtrack what he’d said.
“In my opinion, Jax isn’t being honest with us or probably with himself,” Jason later told producers. “I think he has convinced himself, ‘Oh, we don’t hold grudges; everything is fine.’ I mean, maybe in the 1950s, that’s how people used to have their marriages, and as a result, all of our parents were kind of messed up.”
Jason said Jax or Brittany would have to step up and reverse the cycle.
Back on the boat, Jax stated he and Brittany “don’t believe in divorce,” claiming their marriage was “far from” being on the fence. He described fractures in the relationship as merely “a little bit of a hiccup.”
Jax’s response about his issues struck a nerve for Jesse, whose own marital troubles continue to play out in The Valley’s debut season. He said in his confessional that Jax seemed to be in a “place of denial,” where Jesse found himself with Michelle about one year earlier.
“You better read the signs,” Jesse continued. “Make the changes that I made too late.”
Watch all-new episodes of The Valley Tuesdays at 9/8c on Bravo and streaming the next day on Peacock.
