A Baby, Beer Cheese, Bars — Everything Jax and Brittany Have Done Since Vanderpump Rules
It's not all babies and bottles for Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright: The two have also made their way back to reality TV ahead of starring on Bravo's new show The Valley.
Vanderpump Rules OG Jax Taylor and his wife, Brittany Cartwright, seemingly left reality TV behind with an Instagram post in December 2020. By the end of Season 8, fans had seen their entire relationship — from dating, to moving in together, to becoming engaged and married, to expecting their first child and buying their first house. But Jax teased we hadn’t seen the last of the number one guy in the group, and in Spring 2024, the couple will be back on Bravo screens in the new show The Valley, with their son, Cruz, in tow.
The show “follows a group of close friends as they trade bottle service in West Hollywood for baby bottles in the Valley,” according to Bravo.
When Jax and Brittany said goodbye a little over three years ago, they promised to continue to share all their new endeavors and growing family with fans. And really, there has been a lot that's happened in those years!
Take a look at what the former SURvers have been up to since leaving Vanderpump Rules.
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright Welcome Son
Jax and Brittany proudly confirmed for fans they were expecting their first child back in September 2020 by showing off a sonogram on Instagram, with Jax writing, “Sooooo…..I am gonna be Dad.” It wasn’t a surprise for fans after the couple had discussed having children during a March 2020 Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen appearance.
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The couple kept everyone up to date on Brittany’s pregnancy and their prep for their baby boy on social media, and even used an organizing service to help with the nursery. Brittany posted a video of Jax hauling a crib up the stairs, and also posted a peek into their little boy’s dinosaur-themed bedroom, which included shots of dino stuffed animals and lots of books, including classics like Goodnight Moon and The Cat in the Hat.
The couple also shared pics of their son’s impeccably organized closet, with sneakers on shelves and clothing racks arranged by size.
Cruz Michael Cauchi (Jax’s legal name is Jason Cauchi) was born on April 12, 2021.
“I’ve never in my life thought it was going to be like this…it’s 10,000 times better. Dad mode just kicks in,” Jax wrote on Instagram. “We are so in love.”
Nearly three years later, Cruz is certainly growing up. Brittany shared an Instagram post on Jan. 9, 2024 that Cruz was off to his first day of preschool at the age of 2 and a half. According to a sign, he loves apples, dinosaurs, and elephants. He greeted his new classmates in a black-and-tan sweater with matching sweatpants and beige sneakers.
Brittany and Jax launch their "When Reality Hits..." podcast
Brittany and Jax launched a new podcast, called When Reality Hits with Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright, on March 28, 2023. The couple promised to take listeners behind the scenes of their chaotic life, as they took on the new challenges of parenthood and marriage post-Vanderpump Rules.
Guests have included Below Deck’s Captain Lee Rosbach, Love Island USA Season 5 winners Hannah Wright and Marco Donatelli, and Peacock's The Traitors Season 2's Johnny Bananas.
The couple has also shared various memories of their time on Vanderpump Rules, including when Jax almost drowned on a cast trip to Big Bear in Season 6.
Jax and Brittany also keep their podcast up to date, and share things like their reaction to Tom Sandoval’s affair in real-time, as well as their experience at BravoCon 2023.
Jax and Brittany give commentary on an explosive Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules for Peacock
Jax and Brittany brought the inside scoop to during the explosive Season 10 of Vanderpump Rules in the spring of 2023. Their three-part special, called Watch With The Cast is available on Peacock, as they commented and reacted to episodes 10, 11, and 12.
At the time, fans had learned Tom Sandoval had cheated on longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix, and although it hadn’t been addressed on the show yet, Jax and Brittany where there to point out and react to clues of the coming deception.
Jax Taylor opens his own bar (with a menu featuring Mamaw's beer cheese!)
Brittany and Jax announced on their podcast in August 2023 they were going back into SUR-vice by opening a bar, called Jax’s Studio City, which Jax described as a “neighborhood sports bar" with family-friendly vibes.
“I know in the past I said that owning a bar is basically a marriage killer, but the difference is [Brittany is] involved just as much as I am,” Jax said on the podcast. “We have 100 percent say in what is going on, and she is doing the decorating.”
Jax’s Studio City opened its doors in September 2023, and its soft opening was attended by Tom Schwartz, who posted a congrats on Instagram. A look inside showed a cozy, relaxed vibe, with banana-leaf wallpaper and dark brown woodwork. Brittany’s “vision” included a “living wall” in the bar full of flowers and greenery, according to Jax’s Instagram. The bar also has an outdoor space decorated with string lights.
The announcement of the sports bar also came with a big update on Brittany’s Mamaw’s infamous beer cheese, which Brittany and Jax previously they were trying to produce and bring to the public.
“What we are planning on doing is finally having Mamaw’s Beer Cheese on the menu, so people can come and pick up their own little tub there,” the Kentucky native said on their podcast. “We couldn’t sell it here in California, but now that we have a kitchen, I am going to fly my [grandma] out and have her help with the menu so that it has a lot of Southern charm.”
Mamaw’s beer cheese was on the menu by October 2023, as Brittany uploaded an Instagram story showing off a heaping helping of beer cheese along with chips and vegetables at the bar.
Mamaw’s beer cheese even has the approval of Andy Cohen, who tasted the cheese back in 2019, and said in an Instagram Story, “I’ve got to tell you something: I love your beer cheese. It’s amazing! It needs to be everywhere!”
Jax Taylor Joins New Reality Show
In August 2023, it was announced Jax was making his reality TV comeback: on the new E! series House of Villains. The show brought together “ten iconic and infamous reality television villains under one roof,” who must “outsmart, out-manipulate and out-scheme each other through a series of challenges to win a $200,000 cash prize and the title of America’s Ultimate Supervillain,” the show said.
Although Jax seemed ideal for the show, and many viewers thought he’d be the last villain standing, he became the first person to be banished from the show when it aired in October 2023. Jax was quite literally ousted a few seconds into his goodbye speech, when Omarosa of The Apprentice cut him off and pressed a button that sent Jax’s chair flying back into a wall and out of sight.
Many believe it was Jax’s bragging to Love Is Blind’s Shake Chaterjee about how much money he and Brittany made — Jax said he brought in $450,000 from Cameo appearances alone! — that forced the other villains to turn against him and put him up for elimination.
Watch Jax return to reality television (again), this time with Brittany and Cruz in tow, on Bravo's The Valley, coming in Spring 2024.
