Brittany Cartwright ‘Couldn’t Look Past’ What Transpired Over ‘Past Few Months’ with Jax Taylor Before Filing for Divorce: Exclusive Source
“This decision wasn’t made lightly but [Cartwright] feels adamant that it was the right one,” a source tells PEOPLE
Vanderpump Rules alum Brittany Cartwright’s decision to divorce Jax Taylor was a “long time coming,” a source tells PEOPLE.
On Tuesday, Aug. 27, Cartwright, 35, filed for divorce from Taylor, 45, and requested primary custody of their 3-year-old son Cruz, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. The news of the divorce filing comes nearly six months after she and Taylor decided to take “time apart.”
A source exclusively tells PEOPLE that the divorce is “something Brittany knew she had to do for the best interest of herself and her son.” Adding, Cartwright filed “in order to move forward and put a stop to this tumultuous cycle they’ve been living in.”
“There’s a lot that has transpired over the past few months that she could not look past,” the insider adds. “This decision wasn’t made lightly but she feels adamant that it was the right one.”
The source says that Taylor “is feeling mixed emotions” and “knows this is ultimately the right decision but is sad that things ended up the way they have.” Adding, “It’s been an emotional month for him and he’s trying to stay strong for his son.”
A representative for the couple did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Tuesday.
In the Aug. 27 filing, Cartwright listed their date of separation as Wednesday, Jan. 24 and cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the divorce. The couple met in 2015 and married in 2019.
She requested legal and physical custody of their son but asked that the court grant Taylor visitation rights. Cartwright also asked the court to terminate spousal support to both parties.
Cartwright first revealed on the Thursday, Feb. 29 episode of their joint podcast, When Reality Hits, that the pair were going their separate ways. She revealed she wanted to set the record straight before season 1 of her and Taylor’s new Bravo show, The Valley, premiered — which began airing on March 19. Season 2 is currently in production.
“I know on my last podcast, I alluded to many marriages go through rocky times,” she said at the time. “Yes, 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.”
More recently, a source told PEOPLE that Cartwright and Taylor will continue working together on The Valley. The confirmation comes after a source also told PEOPLE that Taylor completed a 30-day treatment at a mental health facility and would return to the series.
“Brittany was supportive of Jax’s decision to seek help for their son’s sake,” the source said this month. “However, going forward, she’s not interested in having anything to do with him.”
