Jax Taylor Explains How The Valley Is Different from Vanderpump Rules and Reveals if He'll Still Be the "Villain"
Former SUR bartender Jax Taylor teased that "the old Jax is not around" on The Valley.
More than three years after he and wife Brittany Cartwright left Vanderpump Rules, Jax Taylor is officially returning to the Bravoverse.
Jax, Brittany, and fellow couples Kristen Doute and Luke Broderick, Danny Booko and Nia Booko, Jesse Lally and Michelle Lally, Jason Caperna and Janet Caperna (and friends Jasmine Goode and Zack Wickham) will be highlighting their lives on the upcoming Bravo series, The Valley.
Shortly after a fun-filled teaser for the show was released during the Vanderpump Rules Season 11 premiere party in Los Angeles, Jax appeared on the Trading Secrets podcast to discuss his experience on The Valley. During his time on the podcast, Jax opened up about his personal growth, and he revealed whether fans can expect to see him take on a villain-esque role on The Valley.
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Jax Taylor Compares Vanderpump Rules to The Valley
The Jax's Studio City part owner reflected on the break that he took in between Vanderpump Rules Season 8 and The Valley Season 1. During that time, he looked back on the person he was when he was on Vanderpump Rules.
"I was always kind of the scapegoat on [Vanderpump Rules]. I overshadowed everybody else's flaws, so no matter what they all did, it would always come back on me for some reason, and I was always the one that they could just go to and be like, 'Oh, we'll just blame it all on Jax. Let's go after Jax,'" he said. "So, it took a toll on me for a while, no matter what anybody else did, no matter — they all did the same exact things that I did, believe it or not. Nobody realizes that."
After taking some time off of TV, Jax returned back in October 2023 for E!'s House of Villains. Now, he'll be returning once again for The Valley. Though Jax felt like his pause was necessary for him to take some time to rest, grow, and adjust to life as a dad, he explained why he ultimately decided to get back on the screen.
"I missed it," he shared on the podcast. "You know, I'm not good at a lot of things, [but] being on reality TV is one of them. I enjoy it. I'm just good at it."
However, fans shouldn't expect to see the same Jax that they grew accustomed to on Vanderpump Rules.
"I want[ed] to come back, but I want to do it differently. I want to humble myself a little bit. I want to take a different perspective, I want to come at it a different way now," Jax added. "The old guy doesn't exist anymore. The old Jax is not around. I got a new guy here that I want to put back on TV [who] I think that people will enjoy."
He said that the birth of his son, Cruz, was "the real kicker" for him to make some changes.
"Now, I cannot eff up..." he said. "I will never make any poor decisions again because I have a son."
He hopes that Vanderpump Rules fans will be able to recognize how much he's evolved since becoming a dad.
"I wanted to change my life around. I think people see me — that I am a good father, that I am a good person, that I just made a mistake. You know, I was hanging around the wrong people. People make mistakes, you know, but everybody likes a good comeback story, and that's what I wanted," he continued. "Like I said, I'm a different person than I used to be. I took a piece of humble pie... I'm a little appreciative of things. I'm happy to be where I'm at right now. I'm back to where I want to be."
What to Expect from Jax Taylor on The Valley
Jax assured listeners that he has grown considerably since Vanderpump Rules, but he a leopard can never change its spots entirely.
"I think I can come back to TV and be a better person than what I was before, and, hopefully, make it entertaining as well. Obviously, that villain is always still — he's always going to be there. I have to work very, very hard in life to keep that guy quiet. That's just the way it is, that's the way it's always been," he said on the podcast. "It's easier for me to cut corners than it is to make the right choices, but I have to work hard at that. But, I'm aware of that, and I'm OK with that. But, I do things a lot different now."
He concluded, "I've got good relationships, not only with my friends, with my family, with businesses."
