A well-needed break. Jax Taylor doesn’t have any regrets when it comes to his and Brittany Cartwright‘s decision to step away from the spotlight after their time on Vanderpump Rules.
“My mental health was taking a huge hit. It was eight years of being drilled. I was the villain of the show for eight years,” the Michigan native, 43, said during a recent episode of the “Forever Young” podcast. “[I was] just being hammered.”
Taylor recalled how his time on the hit Bravo series affected his personal life.
“I have thick skin — I do — but after a while I don’t care how thick your skin is. After eight years it takes a toll. I was really questioning mental health at the end,” he added. “I was breaking down. I was crying. I was making a lot of dumb mistakes at the end. I was just collapsing. I chose to be in this world, but I was taking a beating. It’s tough.”
The former sweater designer’s ups and downs were documented during his time on Vanderpump Rules. Taylor, who tied the knot on screen with Cartwright, 34, in 2019, announced his and his wife’s departure from the show in December 2020.
“The last 8 years on Vanderpump Rules have been some of the most challenging, rewarding and fulfilling years of my life,” they wrote in separate statements via Instagram. “Although this is difficult to share, Brittany and I will not be returning for another season of Vanderpump Rules. We are excited to take this time to focus on our growing family and share with you our new endeavors. @bravotv, @evolutionusa and our Vanderpump castmates will always remain close to our hearts. Thank you to all the fans who have shared our journey with us and supported us through everything. We love you.”
At the time, Cartwright seemingly hinted that their decision to leave may not have been solely up to the pair. “Do you guys really truly think we got to write whatever we wanted?” she replied to fans who pointed out the couple’s identical goodbye messages.
Taylor, who welcomed son Cruz with the Kentucky native in April 2021, later admitted his interest in filming waned ahead of his exit.
“I was 100 percent checked out at the end. … I was just very irritable on the show. It was getting a little bit too scripted for me, and I just couldn’t do it anymore. It wasn’t fun,” the former reality star exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2021.
More recently, Taylor and Cartwright rejoined the Vanderpump Rules conversation amid Tom Sandoval‘s bombshell affair with Raquel Leviss. The former Bravo stars publicly weighed in on the scandal and appeared in a three-episode stint for Peacock’s Watch With feature during season 10 of Vanderpump Rules.
Taylor has since said he would “absolutely” return to the show if he was invited back. Cartwright, for her part, noted that taking a few steps back allowed the duo to get to a place where they are comfortable in front of cameras again.
“I think that now that he’s had his break — toward the end of him filming season 8 he was getting a little Jaxy. I think after this break you’re ready. I’m always ready,” she shared earlier this month on the podcast.
