What Brittany Cartwright Is Looking for in a Man After Separating From Jax Taylor (Exclusive)

Brittany Cartwright is ready to dip her toe into the dating pool after separating from Jax Taylor one year ago.

“I have a couple crushes, but nothing serious. It’s just been a journey and crazy,” The Valley star, 36, exclusively told Us Weekly earlier this month while promoting her partnership with Charmin. “Obviously, I’m a single mom, so [my son] Cruz always comes first in my life, so I got to find somebody who fits in with that and my crazy lifestyle as it is.”

While Cartwright has been “having fun” exploring the dating scene, she’s got a checklist of what she’s looking for in her next long-term partner. Some of the few qualities she’s prioritizing are a sense of humor and the ability to follow through.

“Somebody that can make me laugh. I feel like having fun with your partner is so important,” she said of the traits she looks for in a significant other. “Just somebody who is attentive and does everything that they say they’re going to do and just makes an effort, because we all know on The Valley I was like, ‘Can I just have a date night or something?’ So just somebody who puts in a little bit of effort.”

Cartwright may be open to mingling, but one thing she’s standing by is not introducing anyone to her and Taylor’s 3-year-old son, Cruz, until the relationship is “serious for a long time.”

“I’m not going to just have guys around my son. That’s not going to happen. But somebody who is open to that and knows that my son comes first is obviously the biggest deal,” she shared. “And just being able to fit into my crazy lifestyle because it’s not normal.”

Cartwright added that she needs her next partner to be “confident enough” and comfortable with the fact her life is an open book.

In February 2024, Cartwright and Taylor, 45, announced they had decided to separate after nearly five years of marriage. The pair’s relationship had been a focal point of Vanderpump Rules and the spinoff series The Valley. In August 2024, Cartwright officially filed for divorce.

While Cartwright has been single for the past year, she’s taking things as they come — but if someone comes in who “sweeps” her “away,” then she’s not opposed to pursuing a romance.

“I don’t feel like I have to put too many boundaries on it from here on out. But it’s all just going to depend on feelings, because if I’m not feeling it, then it’s obviously not going to happen,” she reflected. “But I feel like you just never know what kind of connection you’re going to have with somebody.”

As Cartwright gets back in the dating scene, she’s hunting for the “red flags and green flags” with her potential partners. One dealbreaker is how they keep their bathroom organized — and that’s why Cartwright is teaming up with Charmin.

“I think a lot of women know that it starts in the bathroom. If you go to a guy’s house and see what’s around, there can be so many red flags in there that just completely turn you off, and obviously having good TP is one of them,” she told Us. “Charmin has been around for years and years and years and years and years. I’m a Charmin girl, always have loved it.”

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi