Jax Taylor Opens Up About His Struggle With Substance Issues
Lisa/AFF-USA/ShutterstockWith The Valley Season 2 on the way, Jax Taylor has opened up for the first time about his struggles with substance use disorder. The reality star spoke in depth about his journey during the March 4 episode of Bravo’s Hot Mic podcast, including how it affected his time on Vanderpump Rules and his marriage to Brittany Cartwright.The “Tough” ConfessionIn an admission that Taylor called “tough,” he said on Bravo’s Hot Mic, “I’m an addict. I have substance issues, primarily with cocaine.”Taylor explained his desire to speak out about his history of substance use, saying he wants to share his story in a way that The Valley may not. “I feel like sometimes, because there’s so many cast members, that the whole story of each person is not told, you know, fully,” he said, “and I kind of wanted to come out and talk about the struggles that I’ve been going through for a very, very long time.”Taylor, 45, said he’s been dealing with substance use “on and off” since he was 23. At times, he would stop, and during others, he would “go heavy on it.” Now, he said, he’s more than 80 days “California sober,” and “it feels really, really good.”Jax Taylor of The Valley | Felix Kunze/Bravo via Getty ImagesSigns On Vanderpump RulesIn hindsight, Taylor acknowledged that he wasn’t hiding his substance use as well as he thought he was while starring on Vanderpump Rules. “I think a lot of people who’ve watched Vanderpump Rules over the years could kind of tell that I was on something,” he said.He recalled watching it back, thinking, “Jesus how big are my f*cking pupils? Like, I’m sweating. There’s no reason to be sweating in this scene.”And there were occasions when people working on the show reached out to him, according to Taylor. “They did pull me aside a couple of times,” he said. However, he explained they thought he was drinking, not using cocaine.“Obviously production and people, they didn’t know what I was doing,” he added. “Everything I was doing is on my own. But I was just, you know, on that train and I couldn’t get off.”Effects On His MarriageTaylor’s sobriety journey includes two stints in rehab, plus hitting “rock bottom” after his separation from Cartwright last February after five years of marriage.“When Brittany and I separated, that’s when the addiction got worse,” he said. “Now I’ve always been doing it for a long time, but the addiction got worse during my divorce, during my separation. … I had to go to rehab.”Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright, and their son, Cruz | Scott Kirkland/ShutterstockTaylor also acknowledged that his addiction played a role in his marital problems. He copped to having “insane” anger issues while using, plus suffering from “a huge ego and insecurity problem” that contributed to his cheating. He said he hopes Cartwright, with whom he shares 3-year-old son Cruz, knows he’s “really, really trying.”“I’m doing everything she’s asked,” he said. “The rehab, the therapy, the drug testing, the getting help. I take care of my son as much as she allows me to.”For her part, Cartwright told People she’s glad Taylor has spoken out so that she can, too. “For the first time, I can speak openly about the extent of trauma he’s instilled on our family over the years,” she said. “I’ve tried desperately to help him without success. I pray that one day he completely knocks this addiction.”She added that she’s currently “skeptical” and thinks “his behaviors are still alarming,” but she is “trying to navigate this as best as [she] can” for herself and their son.“Jax has caused an enormous amount of damage and I have very little trust in him at this point,” she said. “My only hope is that one day, he will be a better person for his son.”If you or someone you know is seeking help for substance use, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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