Why Did Jax and Brittany Break Up? From 'Vanderpump Rules' to 'The Valley' to Very Over

After four years of nationally televised wedded bliss, Vanderpump Rules alums Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright announced in late February 2024 that they had split.

But fans noticed that they looked happy in the promotional photos for their new Bravo show The Valley — so what went wrong?

Here is what Brittany — who shares a son, Cruz, with her estranged husband — has said about the reason for the breakup of a couple that many people didn't exactly think would last forever.

Let's start at the beginning. On her shared podcast with her soon-to-be ex, When Reality Hits, Brittany broke the news of the marriage being less than solvent.

"Many of you guys have been asking me about Jax and I and our relationship — I just think it's important to be real and honest with you guys because … we've shared so much of our life with you guys," she explained in the Feb. 29, 2024 episode.

"I don't want to seem like I'm lying or anything like that, so I think it's important for me to say this … Marriages in general are very hard and I've had a particularly rough year this past year. Jax and I are taking time apart, and I made the decision to move into another home to take some space for the sake of my mental health," Brittany said.

As for Jax, he told Page Six after their separation announcement: "We’re just spending some time apart and just trying to re-assess, you know, our situation. We have a child involved and we just wanna do what’s best for our kid."

Later on in March 2024, Brittany had more to say on the subject of the breakup to Bravo.

“It just wore on me after nine years of dealing with a personality like that,” Brittany noted about her combative spouse. “We’re very different in a lot of ways and he has grown in many ways as well.”

“He’s just not the best partner right now and if, you know, if he works on some things, maybe in the future, we could get back together," Brittany further said. "I’m not really sure about that situation yet, but for right now, the space is much needed for both of us. I’m just glad that I had the strength to finally take myself out of that situation ‘cause I didn’t think I would ever, ever, ever leave him.”

Then, on the April 2, 2024 episode of Watch What Happens Live, Brittany revealed to Andy Cohen that the "final straw" for the relationship was a blowout argument they had after a night out.

"Yes, we just had a horrible fight, and it was like the veil was lifted and I noticed everything wrong. You know, they always say [that] a woman can hit her breaking point, and then it's hard to come back from that," she said.

Brittany also said that part of her and Jax's argument had to do with Kristen Doute, explaining: "Just he kind of woke up one morning [and] was mad that I went out with Kristen the night before and kind of like made up a story in his own head and started a fight over something that never happened."

She also said during the episode, however, that she would like to go to couples' therapy with Jax in the future.

As fans know, Jax previously stepped out on Brittany with an employee at SUR.

Some remember the name of the woman that Jax had the affair with: Faith Stowers.

But somehow, despite breaking up at that time, and tempers flaring, the couple managed to work through the cheating drama and ended up walking down the aisle in 2019.

When Andy Cohen asked Brittany on the April 2 episode of WWHL about whether she believes Jax cheated on her after their vows, Brittany said, "Not that I'm aware of. I don't think so. I really don't think so."