Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright Files for Divorce After 5 Years of Marriage

Vanderpump Rules alumniJax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright have called it quits.

Nearly six months after Brittany Cartwright, 35, revealed that she and Jax Taylor, 45, were “taking time apart,” the Kentucky native filed for divorce on Tuesday, August 27, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. Taylor recently completed a 30-day therapy in a mental health facility.

The documents identify Jan. 24 as the date of separation and “irreconcilable differences” as the basis for divorce.

Brittany Cartwright sought custody of their 3-year-old son, Cruz Michael Cauchi, but requested visitation privileges for Jax Taylor. Cartwright also urged the court to end spousal support for both parties.TMZ was the first to report the story.

When contacted by PEOPLE, a representative for the couple declined to comment.

Brittany Cartwright and Jax Taylor, who married in June 2019, announced their separation on their joint podcast, When Reality Hits, on Feb. 29.

“Many of you guys have been asking me about Jax and I and our relationship,” Cartwright remarked at the time. “I just believe it’s important to be genuine and honest with you guys because our life is obviously — we’ve shared so much of our lives with you. So, I feel like… I don’t want to come across as lying or anything, so I believe it’s necessary for me to express this.”

Cartwright put the record straight before season 1 of her and Taylor’s new Bravo show, The Valley, began airing.

“I know on my last podcast, I alluded to many marriages go through rocky times,” she said in conclusion. “Yes, marriages in general are difficult, and this past year has been very difficult for me. Jax and I are taking a break, and I have decided to move to another home to give myself some space for the benefit of my mental health.”

The mother and reality star also admitted on the podcast that the split was “still very hard to talk about.”

“I’m taking one day at a time,” she explained. “I don’t know what the future holds, but right now my focus is on being the best mum to Cruz.”

Taylor argued in a video interview with Page Six that their February separation was not a divorce.

“We are just taking some time apart. “Just trying to reassess our situation,” he added, adding that they “want to do what’s best for our child.”

Cartwright also used their podcast’s platform, just days before announcing the split, to “address some rumours” regarding her and Taylor’s marital troubles. During the late February program, she told fans that “marriage is hard and people go through ups and downs all the time, and it’s completely normal.”

“Sometimes people might need their space [and] sometimes they won’t,” she remarked, adding that she and Taylor filmed Vanderpump Rules spinoff The Valley “months and months ago,” ahead of conversations about their then-rumored marital problems.

“And we’re incredibly happy for this to come out, because there have been so many changes in the lives of every single couple on the show.

Cartwright clarified that there will be no promotional stunts on the Bravo show, which will also include VPR alumni Kristen Doute and newbies Luke Broderick, Jesse Lally, Danny Booko, Nia Booko, Michelle Lally, Jason Caperna, and Janet Caperna.

Earlier this month, a source told PEOPLE that Taylor would return to shoot season 2 of The Valley after finishing mental health therapy.

“Jax will return to film The Valley season 2 after completing his stint at a mental health facility.” It’s been a difficult period for him. “He had been in treatment for the past 30 days,” a source tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Brittany supported Jax’s choice to seek therapy for his son’s sake. However, in the future, she has no desire to interact with him.”

Cartwright revealed to PEOPLE in April that she had “back and forth” about reconciling with Taylor. “Some days I think, ‘For Cruz, we could make it work.'” But then I’m thinking, ‘If I go back, it’ll just be the same things, and I deserve better,'” she added. “I still love Jax very much, but he is a hard person to deal with, and I think everybody in the world knows that.”

Season 1 of The Valley focused on the breakdown of Jax Taylor and Cartwright’s marriage. The season closed with Cartwright feeling unhappy that she and Taylor hadn’t begun trying for a second child and wondering, “What was I thinking staying with him this long?”

Taylor stated on their podcast in late May that he and Cartwright had considered dating, but later denied it after images of him with model Paige Woollen appeared.

Cartwright and Taylor, who met in a Las Vegas bar in 2015 before briefly parting in 2017 and becoming engaged in June 2018, have long been open about the “ups and downs” of their relationship.

Taylor, who admitted to cheating on his then-girlfriend in 2017, told PEOPLE that they “weathered the storm” of their relationship and ended up “in a great place.”

Six years later, in March 2023, Cartwright told PEOPLE that they were “trucking through” their marriage despite outside doubts, with “good days” and “bad days” further strengthening their bond. In April 2021, they welcomed their first and only child, Cruz.

“I do not believe in divorce. “My parents did not divorce,” Taylor explained last year. “I do not believe in that. Marriage requires work. I’m not claiming every day is perfect.”

“Like I said, she’s the ying to my yang, a little,” according to him. “I’m a difficult guy to be around, therefore it takes a special individual to deal with my nonsense. Even after all of this, and despite the fact that my life has improved significantly, I remain difficult to deal with. I suppose she is the only one who can put up with me.

Cartwright also told PEOPLE about Jax Taylor that parenting has “made us stronger” and made her “love him more.” As of August 2023, the couple planned to increase their family of three.

“At least one more,” Jax Taylor stated about having more children with his wife. “We’re just very busy right now. It’s been a very hectic summer. “We’re extremely fortunate.”

Jax Taylor has previously credited Cartwright as “the rock” of their family, stating that he does not know whether he would “still be on this planet if it wasn’t for her.”

“Her and my son, they kind of really saved me after my father died,” Jax Taylor said in an interview about his late father, Ronald Chauci, who died at age 61 in 2017. “I really owe my whole life to her.”