REALITY BITES

Reality Star Leaves ‘The Valley’ to Focus on His Sobriety

The reality TV villain has been struggling with his mental health and sobriety.

Jax Taylor will officially be stepping away from The Valley amid his struggle with sobriety. The Bravo reality TV star, 46, announced his decision to leave Wednesday, much to the surprise of his co-stars. “After an incredibly challenging year and many honest conversations with my team and producers, I’ll be stepping away from the next season of The Valley,” he said in a statement. “Right now, my focus needs to be on my sobriety, my mental health, and coparenting. Taking this time is necessary for me to become the best version of myself—especially for our son, Cruz,” he added. A source told People that Taylor’s The Valley cast mates were “absolutely blindsided by this news.” “They were not given any advance notifications about his exit,” the source said, noting that “this is a huge surprise.” While on The Valley, the Vanderpump Rules alum split with his wife Brittany Cartwright, with whom he shares four-year-old son Cruz, and spent the beginning of Season 2 in rehab for alcohol and cocaine issues. Cartwright told People in April that Taylor would be “so aggressive and horrible” to her during his “come downs.” She ultimately filed for divorce before he returned from rehab and had the “chance to pull me back in.”