Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor Were ‘Fighting a Lot’ When She Started Making More Money Than Him
Brittany Cartwright shed more light into some of the past issues between her and Jax Taylor — including one that had to do with money.
During the Tuesday, April 23, episode of Vanderpump Rules, Brittany, 35, made an onscreen appearance for the first time in four years to offer Scheana Shay advice about Brock Davies. Scheana, 38, got emotional while discussing how her success caused problems in her marriage.
"I feel like Brock is always doing so much to help me and maybe he feels like I don't appreciate it at times because he's not bringing in a huge income?" Scheana said.
In response, Brittany asked whether Scheana "being the breadwinner" is what kept her and Brock, 32, at odds. "I think for him, totally," Scheana, who shares 3-year-old daughter Summer with Brock, noted at the time.
Everything the ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Cast Has Said About Their Salaries Through the Years
Brittany, meanwhile, revealed that she faced similar issues with Jax, 44. "I know whenever me and Jax were going through that where I was making more money for once, I could tell that was a shift for him," she recalled. "We were fighting a lot because of that alone."
Brittany added: "I think because they are such manly men, that can be something even if they don't express it."
Vanderpump Rules viewers became familiar with Jax and Brittany's ups and downs when she joined the series in 2015. After Brittany became a main cast member, the pair were often at odds and even weathered a high-profile cheating scandal before their exit in 2020.
As fans prepared to get an update on Jax and Brittany on The Valley, the duo announced in February they are "taking time apart" from their marriage.
Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright’s Ups and Downs Over the Years
"So many of you guys have been asking me about Jax and I and our relationship. I just think it is important to be real and honest with you guys because we have shared so much of our life with you guys," Brittany said on their "When Reality Hits" podcast. "I don't want it to seem like I am lying or anything like that. So I think it is important for me to say this."
She continued: "With all the speculation online and stories running rampant, I wanted to be transparent with you. Yes, marriages are very hard, and I had a particularly rough 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. I won't get into too many details right now because this is still really hard to talk about."
Season 1 of The Valley hinted at Brittany feeling unhappy in her marriage to Jax. With new episodes continuing to air, Brittany elaborated on how a lack of intimacy contributed to their marital struggles.
"Keeping things romantic and spicy is how you make it work. If we’re going to make it 20 years, we have to keep this up but it’s already dwindled so much. It was messing with my confidence — why is he not coming on to me? I felt like I wasn’t good enough," she revealed in Us Weekly's recent cover story. "If you start to feel like your partner doesn’t want you and they’re also being mean to you, it’s like, “What am I doing here?” I’m basically living with a roommate. I hit my breaking point."
‘Vanderpump Rules’ Cast’s Dating History: Inside Lala Kent, Scheana Shay and More Stars’ Love Lives
Brittany went on to explain what steps Jax should be taking on his end.
"There are a lot of things, and I’m not seeing enough effort from his side. He needs to go to therapy. He doesn’t need to be staying out at the bar all the time. He needs to respect me more and stop taking me for granted," she added. "I was the closest person to him and was kind of like his punching bag. He was always giving me jabs. I can’t deal with that for the rest of my life."
Vanderpump Rules airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET and The Valley airs at 9 p.m. ET. New episodes are available to stream on Peacock the next day.