Bravo Insider Exclusive!

Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!

Sign Up for Free to View
The Daily Dish Vanderpump Rules

Is James Kennedy Really the Younger Version of Jax Taylor? Kristen Doute Weighs In

The #PumpRules pal explains the real reason these two just can't get along.

By Laura Rosenfeld
Is James Kennedy Really the Younger Version of Jax Taylor?

No matter what goes down on Vanderpump Rules, it always seems like this group of friends can find a way to forgive each other and move on. Not so for Jax Taylor and James Kennedy, whose beef seems to be never-ending. 

How to Watch

Watch Vanderpump Rules on Bravo Tuesdays at 8/7c and next day on Peacock. Catch up on the Bravo app.  

Well, Tom Sandoval thought he cracked the code in Monday night's episode of Vanderpump Rules. "Maybe one of the reasons that Jax doesn't like James is because he feels like he's looking at himself 10 years ago, and he doesn't like what he sees," Tom hypothesized. 

However, Kristen Doute, who is a longtime friend of Jax and the ex-girlfriend of James, doesn't exactly agree with Tom's assessment. "I totally believe that James wants to be just like Jax. I actually said that on the reunion [in] Season 4, and James kept repeating that he wants nothing to do with Jax, he's better than Jax. No, you love being like Jax. That's all you want," Kristen told The Daily Dish. "But no one is Jax. Jax is who he is unapologetically, and we forgive Jax because we have a history with Jax, and we just kind of accept that. But James looks at Jax as this womanizer who can get away with anything. He can treat people the way he wants, but he keeps this solid group of friends."

Jax and James Go Head to Head

Kristen said she believes the real reason Jax and James just can't seem to get along is because the DJ just wants attention from the bartender and secretly wants to be his friend. "There's so much conflict with James and everyone. James, he's like that little kid who constantly wants attention, and he's going about it the wrong way, that little kid in elementary school who's pulling the girl's hair because he likes her, pushing the kid on the playground because he wants to be his friend. That's the way James is with Jax. He's constantly ripping on him, but I think he inside is begging for a friendship that he'll never get," she explained. "And yes, Jax makes some total douche moves, but I don't know. It's like we always say, 'It's just Jax.' And I love that Jax would never give this kid a chance because he really is much worse than Jax." 

But Jax and James definitely have one thing in common: They each think they rule the roost at SUR. Jax said he was "the No.1 guy in the group" last season, and James said he was "the most valuable player" at SUR in Monday night's episode. Kristen brushed off their "alpha male" personalities and is prepared to rep for the ladies. "The truth is, I'm the No.1 girl in the group. So fine, I finally said it," Kristen joked. "I worked at SUR the longest, so I'm taking the title. Sorry, girls." 

Watch Jax fight for the title of "No.1 guy in the group," below.

Jax Says He's the #1 Guy in the Group
Want the latest Bravo updates? Text us for breaking news and more!