Brittany Cartwright is entering a new chapter on “The Valley,” and for the first time since joining the Bravo franchise, she’s filmed without ex-husband Jax Taylor by her side.
With Season 3 now airing on the network, Cartwright reflected on how different the experience was following the couple’s split, admitting the change affected her in ways she didn’t expect.
Speaking during an interview last week, Cartwright said filming without Taylor brought a completely different atmosphere to set after years of working alongside him on both “The Valley” and “Vanderpump Rules.”
Brittany Says Filming Feels Completely Different
“It’s been great to not have to have [Jax] around. It was a breath of fresh air. I felt a lot calmer and safer,” Cartwright said.
She explained that this marked the first time in years she had filmed a reality series without Taylor.
“That was my first time ever, in all these years, not filming with him. Huge difference. But it’s just been a lot of drama. I mean, last season of ‘The Valley’ was super hard and super dark.”
Cartwright suggested viewers only saw part of what she experienced while cameras were rolling.
“You guys saw what happened to me on camera. So imagine what was happening off camera,” she said. “It was just, it was just a lot, but I finally took off the rose-colored glasses and handled business.”
Taylor exited “The Valley” ahead of Season 3, leaving Cartwright to film the new season independently for the first time.
She Says Leaving the Marriage Was the Right Decision
Cartwright also spoke candidly about why she ultimately decided to end her marriage, explaining that her 5-year-old son, Cruz, became her biggest priority. The former couple were married for more than 4 years.
“A lot of people will stay whenever they have kids but it did the opposite to me because I didn’t want him to grow up in that environment, so it just made me a lot stronger, honestly, and I was like, ‘He can’t watch this,’” she recalled.
The Bravo star also offered an update on her personal life, confirming she’s “definitely single” more than two years after separating from Taylor. Looking back on a brief relationship with Brandon Hanson, she admitted there were “a lot of red flags.”
“I will never be in a toxic relationship like that. I notice the red flags. I’ve worked on myself so much. Somebody has to love family,” she said.
In the same interview, Cartwright discussed undergoing a mommy makeover after her split, calling it one of the most important things she has done for herself as she continues rebuilding her confidence.
Season 3 of “The Valley” is currently airing and it is the first season of the Bravo series without Taylor as a cast member. The first two seasons heavily featured the pair’s deteriorating marriage, Taylor’s substance issues and journey to sobriety, and their co-parenting relationship. Cartwright remains one of the show’s central figures as cameras follow the next chapter of her life after their highly publicized breakup.
