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Jax Taylor is speaking out about his mental health struggles and his split from Brittany Cartwright.
Cartwright filed for divorce from Taylor at the end of last month after five years of marriage, and says she now believes it is for the best.
Latest episode In “When the reality of Jax and Brittany came to light,” he says, “Brittany has filed for divorce. I understand why and I feel this is the right decision for our family. I will always love and cherish Brittany because she is the mother of my beautiful son. All I can hope is that we can be amicable co-parents and, hopefully, one day become really, really good friends.”
The couple have a 3-year-old son, Cruz, and Jax said: “I know I’m a great father and I know I’d be a great ex-husband.”
Later in the podcast, he spoke about his marital problems with his coach and mentor, Scott Kaufman.
Jax explained, “Anger is a huge issue for me. I just get caught in a vicious cycle and unfortunately it’s affecting my marriage. I just have anger issues and it’s not my wife’s fault… If I get mad about something throughout the day… I bring it home and I take it out on my wife and it has nothing to do with her.”
Brittany Cartwright speaks out for the first time since filing for divorce from Jax Taylor
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He continued, “Unfortunately, she decided that enough was enough and I don’t blame her at all… To be honest, I was kind of shocked when she decided to move out. I shouldn’t have been shocked, but I was. She was like, ‘I found an Airbnb, I’m getting out of here.'”
Brittany has since returned to her parents’ home and Jax has moved out.
A few days ago, Brittany spoke about the breakup on her podcast and revealed that fans will find out more details in season 2 of “The Valley.”
“We’ll see how it all plays out once the show airs, but I can tell you this: This season has been the most difficult I’ve ever filmed. I never imagined I’d be going through something so personal and painful with the whole world watching.”
She insisted that the split had nothing to do with ratings, explaining, “It has absolutely nothing to do with ratings. My decision to divorce was not made lightly or in haste. It has taken me years to get to this point, to do what is best for me, to get out of a toxic relationship and gain enough courage and strength to finally find my own self-worth.”
Meanwhile, this week’s episode saw Jax open up about his 30 days in a psychiatric facility.
Jax Taylor receives mental health treatment during separation from Brittany Cartwright
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“It was a very scary step for me, but a very necessary one. This was something I had been carrying for years…I knew something was wrong with me, but I was really scared to find out what it was,” Taylor said.
He learned a lot about himself during his treatment: “I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I understand a little more about my mental illness now. I was prescribed strong medication, which has actually helped me a lot. In time, I will talk more openly about this, but for now I just need to deal with this process. It’s a very serious disorder and I’ve been reading and researching about it because I know there are a lot of people out there who go through this.”
Jacques also spoke about life at the facility.
“I was allowed to have my phone at certain times when I wasn’t in therapy. The therapy was about seven hours a day and I was allowed outside the facility for an hour a day so I could go to the gym. A nurse accompanied me. Those 30 days were a great experience. The days were very regular and I realised that regularity is what I really need in life.”
He acknowledged that despite his hospitalization, “it doesn’t cure me or make me a changed person… I hope so.”
For now, he says, he’s “just taking small steps and trying to get through each day using the coping techniques I’ve been taught in therapy.”
