Rounding out the group is Brittany Cartwright's inevitable divorce from resident sociopath Jax Taylor. While Brittany was begging Jax throughout Season 1 for a *Kentucky muffin accent* "DAYTE NOIGHT," it was "AHB-VEE-US-LEIGH" clear that their marriage was unsalvagable. After they got unceremoniously let go from Vanderpump Rules during 2020, Brittany picked up the pieces and became the breadwinner for their family, all while being a mother to Cruz Cauchi. While they were on ice for another shot at reality television stardom, Brittany stepped into adulthood while Jax still has learned nothing. Jax insists that he is a "work in progress," but it's become abundantly clear that he doesn't deserve the platform he has, and The Valley would thrive without him.
Reality TV Stardom Enables Jax's Toxicity
Years later, The Valley was conceptualized by Alex Baskin with the help of Jax. Bravo fans that were initially reticent about the show immediately fell in love with it because they were no longer trying to sell us on this fairytale ending for Jax and Brittany. While Kristen and Brittany seemed to have evolved after being humbled back in 2020, Jax was worse than ever. He looked nauseated at Brittany trying to fix their marriage with DAYTE NOIGHTS, constantly picked fights with her, and turned to substance abuse to escape from his harrowing reality.
When Jax and Brittany's separation was announced, fans initially assumed that it was a publicity stunt to get people to watch the show. They scoffed at the idea that Brittany would ever leave the man that got her a spot on television, but as the season unfolded, it was abundantly clear that Brittany couldn't do anything to save their marriage. Jax was worse than ever, and reality television had enabled him and rewarded him for his bad behavior. It was revealed this season that Jax threw a coffeetable at Brittany's knee in response to finding out she was casually dating an acquaintance of his after they separated. Viewers also witnessed Jax harrass and emotionally abuse Brittany with a barrage of texts between therapy sessions at rehab.
Alex Baskin Should Right His Wrongs
Jax isn't the only monster that was emboldened and enabled by Vanderpump Rules. James Kennedy was arrested this past December during a domestic dispute with then-girlfriend Ally Lewber. James' exes Rachel Leviss and Kristen both took to Instagram to confirm that James was abusive, and that people around them knew about it. They had talked about his abuse before, only to be ignored until James had finally been arrested and Ally corroborated their claims. Fans finally opened their eyes to the fact that Vanderpump Rules didn't just ignore James' abuse, they empowered him to do it and helped him get away with it through savvy editing and revisionist history.
Alex Baskin has an opportunity here to right his past wrongs and take a stance on abuse. This kind of behavior isn't classic VPR toxicity — it's unwatchable and disgusting. As much as Jax insists he's a "work in progress," he will never, ever change. While Vanderpump Rules floundered after the mass firing in 2020, it was already running on fumes and mostly unsalvagable. Scandoval briefly reignited some interest in the show, but they still couldn't make it work.