During a Nov. 14 appearance on Bravo’s Hot Mic podcast, Jax Taylor shared insights into the breakdown of his marriage to Brittany Cartwright. Despite Cartwright, 35, being the one to file for divorce, Taylor, 45, explained that he had actually been the one to end the relationship.
Taylor revealed that during the second weekend of his rehab, he reached out to Cartwright via email to suggest they get a mediator. “People don’t realize that I’m the one that initiated this,” he remarked, adding that Cartwright responded by saying she was hiring a divorce lawyer.
Taylor dismissed her response but reiterated his suggestion, “Why don’t we just get a mediator? We’re not going after each other financially, there’s no reason to spend all this money.”
Just three days after proposing mediation, Taylor was served with divorce papers, a development that didn’t catch him off guard. He speculated that Cartwright wanted to be the first to file publicly, asserting, “I think she wanted to get ahead of it while I was in there. I think she wanted to be the first to publicly say, ‘I’m divorcing him,’ when, in all honesty, I was the one that initiated it.”
For Taylor, the issue of who filed first was irrelevant. He acknowledged, however, that staying in the marriage was no longer an option. “It needed to happen,” he said, adding that he may have blindsided Cartwright. “I just think that I blindsided her a little bit. I think she really, really wanted me to work on the marriage… By that time, I was just really checked out. I just couldn’t come back anymore.”
When asked about the possibility of reconciliation, Taylor was firm in his belief that it was not in the cards for them. Reflecting on their tumultuous history, he stated, “I just think Brittany and I have changed over the years. I think I’ve changed over the years. I think I did a lot of negative things that really just tarnished our relationship, which is sad.”
While Taylor still holds love for Cartwright, he believes that they can no longer move forward as a couple. “I love her. She’s the mother of my child. I will always be there for her for the rest of my life. I just don’t think I can love her like she needs to be loved,” he said.
The couple revealed their separation in February 2024 and filed for divorce in August. Cartwright cited irreconcilable differences and requested both legal and physical custody of their son, Cruz, born in 2021.
Court records indicate that by September, Taylor had agreed to grant Cartwright full custody of their child. In a statement, Taylor’s representative noted, “Jax and Brittany have long resolved all matters related to custody of Cruz and will continue to work together privately for the best interest of their son.”