Brittany Cartwright Defends Staying With Jax Taylor Amid His Cocaine Addiction: ‘I Was Naive’

Brittany Cartwright spoke out after Bravo fans learned about Jax Taylor’s cocaine addiction.

“His addiction unfortunately has done irreparable damage to my son and I,” Cartwright, 36, who shares 3-year-old son Cruz with Taylor, 45, began via her Instagram Story on Tuesday, March 4. “I’ve spent years trying to help him.”

Cartwright admitted that she still had reservations about Taylor’s attempts to change, adding, “I wish more than anyone I could say how proud I am of him today but I’d be lying. His actions will speak for themselves.”

The reality star also addressed criticism about her past relationship with Taylor:. “And to those asking why I stayed if I knew he had a problem all these years. You can’t help who you fell in love with. I’ve done absolutely everything in my power to get him the help he desperately needed. Unfortunately, I was naive and believed his empty promises and his pleads to change for years.”

Cartwright concluded: “Once you have a child with someone, it’s not easy to leave. It took everything in my power to gather the strength to walk away. For those that have been through similar, you get it. For those that question me … that’s OK. I’m in a much better place now.”

Taylor came clean about his struggles with cocaine on Tuesday’s episode of Bravo’s “Hot Mic” podcast.“I have substance issues — primarily with cocaine. It’s hard to say out loud, he said. “I’ve been dealing with this on and off since I was 23 and now I’m 45. There were times where I would stop doing it but then there were times where I’d go heavy on it.”

Taylor clarified that he cut out alcohol as well. “People ask you, ‘Do you have an alcohol problem too?’ I don’t necessarily think I have an alcohol problem but the two go hand in hand,” he noted. “I can’t do cocaine without drinking. So I just gave up both. I’m proud to say I’m 83 days sober right now, which is the longest I’ve ever gone in my life without either.”

Elsewhere in the podcast, Taylor acknowledged his ongoing ups and downs with Cartwright, who filed for divorce in 2024.

“This year was probably the hardest year of my life,” Taylor detailed. “I’m going through a divorce right now, which is extremely difficult. When Brittany and I separated [in 2024], that’s when the addiction got worse. I’ve been doing it for a long time but the addiction got worse during my divorce and during my separation. I literally lost control. I hit rock bottom and I had to go to rehab.”

Taylor acknowledged how outside factors caused his marriage to get worse.

“I would store all this anger up throughout the day and then I’d go home for dinner. Who’s in my target line? Brittany. She didn’t do anything. But I’m just so angry with my anger issues that I would just take it out on her and it was not fair. And I knew what I was doing,” he explained. “The only time that Brittany and I really have ever gotten angry is the next day after a bender for me. That’s the only time I’ve ever had a shouting match. I’ve never done a sober shouting match with Brittany ever. But unfortunately, I was doing drugs so much.”

Cartwright initially broke her silence on Taylor’s revelation in a statement to People, which read, “I’m glad that he finally admitted to what was really going on. For the first time, I can speak openly about the extent of trauma he’s instilled on our family over the years. I’ve tried desperately to help him without success. I pray that one day he completely knocks this addiction, but I’m skeptical. His behaviors are still alarming and his treatment plan seems to be the bare minimum.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).